Loving You Is Endless
by BePassionate24
Summary: All Human. A/U. Stefan Salvatore is a con artist that's known nothing but being on the run. So, what happens when 7 years go by after his time in jail and he runs into his former fiancé, Elena Gilbert, now a high end fashion model living in Manhattan. Will she still be bitter and angry against him for leaving her or will all be forgiven over time?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey all! So, this story was originally supposed to be a Kol & Katherine story. But, I decided to change it into an SE one! :) **

**Please let me know if I should continue with it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaires!**

**Thanks for reading & Enjoy!**

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**Prologue-Loving You Is Endless-**

_Seven Years Earlier..._

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

I watch as she smiles at me, the love of my life in her night gown. Elena's taking off the most expensive pearls that she's ever owned as she glances at me through the mirror. "Do you think that tonight would have gone differently with my parents if they didn't know about your past?" She asks, pulling her curly hair out of its tight bun as I nod at her.

"Sweetie, I think that things would have gone the same way. Your family hates me for who I used to be and...Well, they have the right too. I stole money!" I tell her, clearing my throat as I slip my shoes off, pulling back the covers and just when I'm about to settle in for the night, I hear it. The familiar sound of heavy boots, oh hell, they're here and ready to shoot me like the criminal that I am! Maybe they already have their guns drawn!

"Stefan Salvatore! I know you're in there! Come out with your hands up and no one will get hurt!" I hear him say, that familiar brooding in his tone as I roll my eyes. This man has been after me for six months now and finally, he's got me where he wants me. In the one place where I've felt safe, in his own town…

"What the hell did you do, Stefan? Our engagement party is next week and we have a wedding to plan in less than six months! What's going on?" Elena bellows, getting up from the chair she's sitting in and watching as I make my way through the hallway, out towards the living room and bursting the door open.

I'm met with his blazing eyes, gun drawn at my face as he smiles at me. "Well, well, well...I have been looking in nearly 50 states for you...Mr. Salvatore..looks like at least now you've finally made my job a lot easier." He tells me in his fine British accent, as he lowers his gun and steps back.

"Well, Detective Kol Mikaelson...how's that badge treating you...Nice promotion buddy!" I tell him in a joking matter, feeling his eyes cut from me and back to Elena who's sitting on the couch now, crying.

"I can give you a few minutes to say goodbye." Kol bargains with me as I laugh, of course he can...with him and his team listening to every word I say!

I nod my head. I need to tell her goodbye. To apologize for my latest stunt because out of all the girls I've met in my life. I have never met anyone as beautiful and as purely caring as Elena Gilbert.

"Lena, let me explain...Please." I begin to say, my voice quivering as I sit across from her, on our coffee table. Her dark brown eyes lock on me and I can see how much I've hurt her. "I'm sorry...I never meant for this to be this way. But, you need to know one thing...I love you and I want you to keep that ring as a reminder of our love….I'll love you until the day I die." I say, leaning into her and kissing her quivering lips as backs away from me and whispers against my ear.

"I love you, too! But, after the stunt you pulled tonight, I never want to see your face again and as far as this ring goes...I've learned from the best, Stefan...I'm going to resell it!" She tells me, kissing my cheek as she releases me from her grip and I hear Kol clear his throat.

"Alright, Stefan...Time's up! I can't wait to show who I caught, off to the boss of our department...Arizona's finest Police Officer has finally arrested Stefan Salvatore after a long man hunt!" Kol says, smiling as he pulls me out of the apartment and all I'm left with is the hurt and tears in Elena's eyes as I watch her bow her head down and spin her engagement ring around her finger, giving me that saddened look of how dare you do this to me, to us?

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**Elena's P.O.V.**

I know I said that I never wanted to see him again. But, I also never meant it, I've told it to him before a million times in the last few years. So, as I sit on the couch, I can't look away from it. The police finally dragging Stefan away in handcuffs and all I can think about is last night at dinner, my parents and their words. "How dare you marry a criminal, Elena?" My mother spoke, sadness in her eyes as she looked across from me at the dinner table and shook her head in disbelief at my choice of being with the man that I love.

But, there's one thing that they will never understand, and it's the fact that I love him. Unconditionally, utterly in love with the man that has done so much wrong. But, yet has a heart that can love so deeply. Stefan and I had met in college and have been engaged for the last year now. We met in Hawaii, both going to school to become something important and both trying to cope with being home sick from where we were originally from, Chicago.

I still can see the look in Stefan's green eyes when he had told me that he wanted to be a good guy. Yet, it always seemed as if a black cloud of danger and recklessness followed behind him with every step that he took. I remember the night that he took me out on the patio of my dorm room and told me that he wanted to me to be with him, to be his girlfriend…who would have known that the rich girl and the guy from the wrong side of the tracks would have ever fallen madly in love for each other.

I'm not perfect either, I've stolen, cheated, drank until I nearly blacked out and done some other things that I don't want to speak of. But, somehow he over saw that and when our lips touched for the first time, I knew that I could never live without him.

So, here I am now. My black colored Bentley is parked in front of the county jail where they've just taken him in for booking and as I step out of my car to go try and be by his side, I get a text message from his best friend, Lexi. I can hear the pain in it when I read it out loud and instantly fall back into the driver's seat, tears streaming down my face for what I know won't be the first time…for the man that I can't live without.

_Elena: Stefan's court date is going to be in five days…He could get seven years in prison for conning that guy out of all his money and we could probably never see him again!_

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** A/N: So, What do you all think? Should I keep going?**

**Please let me know. **

**Follow me on Twitter for Updates at:Green_Eyes1989**

**-Until Next Time-**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey all! So, Here's my other new story! Please let me know what you all think. And, don't worry we will find out how Stefan found her, what he's doing out of jail and all that good stuff in the next update! :) **

**Also, Please note that CH.1 is 7 YEARS LATER after the prologue! **

**Thanks for reading & Enjoy! **

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**CHAPTER ONE- Loving You Is Endless**

**7 years later...**

Elena's P.O.V.

I swear, the heels on my feet are throbbing as I almost throw myself into my chair. The backroom to the show is full of models, everyone is running around with makeup bags, curling irons and everything that you could imagine in a girly girls bathroom.

I watch as my best friend, Caroline sits down next to me, exhaling deeply and kicking off her 6 inch black and front laced Jimmy Choo's. "Thank God that is over! If I have to walk a runway like that one again, Katherine is going to have this up her-" Caroline begins to say, lifting up her shoes by the heels and flipping them over so that the sharp part is in her hands as she glances over at me and then suddenly stops talking when we both cringe at the sound of our designer walking up to us, sneering at us both as she places her hands on her hips and laughs.

"Someone say, Katherine Pierce! Well, no worries darlings, I'm here. Elena, you're up next!" Katherine notifies me, placing the pen in her hands down and clipping it to the clip board that she's holding.

"Can't wait!" I say, sarcasm in my voice as I get up and straighten out my dress, the red flowery print is stuck to my slim body as I look at myself over once more and smile.

"Enough, looking..Elena! You look fine! If your makeup artist and hair girl, did her job..Then, you shouldn't be worried about your looks! Bonnie Bennett, is good at what she does..It just depends on how you present yourself." Katherine tells me, hearing as I exhale and then open the curtain to take a peek out into the crowd of on lookers.

The building is larger than I'm used to and this time the judges look even more intense and fierce as I close the curtain and step in line, right behind my rival, Rebekah Mikealson. I know who Rebekah is, who her family is and personally, I was shocked to find out that she came out to New York just like I did, to escape our pasts. But, I still can't stand her. Her big blonde curls, bright blue eyes and this ugly smirk that I just want to smack off her face.

I breathe in deep as Rebekah turns on her heels, looking over at me with a displeased look on her face and right when I open my mouth to speak. She talks directly to me, in her beautiful British accent.

"You know, darling..You look a little skinny these past few months..Have you been eating Elena? I'm sure that you would hate for me to tell your sponsors, and the designers that one of their models hasn't eating or isn't taking care of herself..properly." Rebekeh says, shrugging her shoulders back and just when I think about a quick comeback, a jab at Rebekah and her brother for being the one who arrested my fiancé, threw him in federal prison and made my life a living hell since then. Her number is called and she's out on the runway floor, showing off all of her assets to the judges.

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"I hate her, Caroline!" I exclaim, grabbing all my stuff and throwing it in a bag, walking out the back door of the building to my waiting taxi, hearing as the show is wrapping up and leaving early like I usually do to avoid any snotty remarks from Katherine or Rebekah.

"Which one this week? Katherine or Rebekah?" Caroline asks, opening the other back door and watching as I throw my bags next to her, sliding into the seat next to hers. Listening closely when Caroline tells the cab driver directions to our flat in the heart of downtown.

"I hate them both this week. Rebekah more than Katherine this week!" I tell her, hearing as Caroline lets out a laugh, placing her hands on top of mine and smiling at me.

"Honey, are you sure that this has nothing to do with the fact that Rebekah was being extra bitchy this week?" She asks, leaning her head against my shoulder as I exhale. Yeah, Caroline's right. After a year of speculation about my past and the tabloids. Rebekah put two and two together, finally cornering me in the bathroom of one of our shows and telling me that her and I had a lot more in common than just modeling. Kol, her brother in Arizona, was the arresting officer in Stefan's case 7 years ago and he's the reason why Stefan is still in jail..at least I think he is.

Stefan and I lost contact with each other when I went to visit him, he told me to get the hell out of Arizona. To find what I love and to pursue my dreams..without him. I guess that's why I've been so pissed off, so bitter at him. We were supposed to live our lives together, probably be married by now and have a bunch of little kids, somewhere in Scottsdale. The plan was to get married in Arizona, to live our lives there and for me to get a local modeling job. But, then again live has funny ways of working out.

"Thank you, Ma'am." The driver comments, I sit silent as Caroline hands him some money and then we both slowly make our way up to our 9th floor flat that overlooks the city.

"Caroline, do you ever think that our lives could have turned out differently?" I ask suddenly, entering the elevator as I throw my bags full of extra clothing and makeup over my shoulder and glance over at my best friend who I've lived with since I moved here. Both of us starting out as struggling models in the big city full of sharks, ready to criticize our looks, tear us down. But, Caroline and I bonded over it, failed auditions, long hours in the hair and makeup room, even longer photo shoots and runways. But, somehow we both made it...we survived it all and here we are, living our dreams as high end fashion models for a few of the biggest designers in New York City, Katherine Pierce being one of them.

"Yeah, I think that I could be a teacher or something in a small town. And, I also think that if life would have handed you something a bit nicer in the boyfriend/ ex-fiancé department...Well, then you wouldn't be where you are right now. But, I think we both did pretty good. I'm dating Matt Donovan, the super blond and hot male model and you...you're..." Caroline's voice trails off, watching me unlock the door to our apartment as I lock my eyes on her, turning around to turn the lights on.

"And, I'm still not over him. Yeah, That seems to be a problem! Well, if it makes you feel better..I've decided to pawn the diamond ring." I tell her, watching as Caroline rolls her eyes and looks down at the necklace that's around my neck..the diamond ring that Stefan gave me 7 years ago, still hanging from it.

"You say that every year! Elena, let him go, already! You and him are done, it's been 7 years!" Caroline comments, throwing her high heels in a corner of the room and walking down the hallway as she yells over her shoulder at me. "Just pawn the damn ring!"

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I don't know how long I sit on our couch, listening as Caroline moves through the living room, humming to herself as she speaks to me, killing the silence. "Off to go call Matt, to tell him good night..Just yell if you need anything!" Caroline comments, running into her room as I hear the door shut behind her.

I respond back softly. Thank god for the silence I get in the night whenever Caroline does her routine and nightly calls to her boyfriend . I lean my head back against the couch and exhale a breath, spinning the ring around on its chain. But, when I lean my head back against the cushions again, closing my eyes tightly this time, a loud and sudden knock at the door stops the spinning of the ring.

I get up in a huff, holding the necklace with the ring dangling from it as I open the door without even looking through the peephole. Thinking that maybe it's just the pizza deliver guy, coming over to get Caroline's number for the 10th time this week.

" I told you..She doesn't want your-" I start to say, my voice stuck in my throat as he grins at me, taking a step forward and licking his lips, green eyes blazing with what looks like longing when he stops at my bare legs, I don't notice it. But, I guess I never changed out of my runway dress as he glances at me, and I follow his eyes, up and down my slim figure. Then, I watch him, lick his lips again, smacking them against each other as he lets out a laugh and leans further into the entrance of my place.

"Miss me, darling?" He comments, leaning against the door frame of my apartment as I lock my stunned eyes on him, barely uttering out any words..except for his name and a question. "Stefan. How did you find me?"

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** -Until Next Time!-**

** Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the reviews! So glad that so many of you are finding this story to be interesting. :) So, here's CH.2! Please let me know what you think. **

**Thanks for reading & enjoy!**

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**CHAPTER TWO-Loving You Is Endless- **

**Stefan's P.O.V **

I stare at her for a long while, not wanting to say anything at all..But just to look at her..My perfect fiancé looks better than she ever did before, sexier even as she locks her eyes on me, shifting her weight from one foot to the other when I clear my throat.

"Can I come in?" I ask, pushing myself off the wooden door frame and watching as she looks back behind her.

"I..uh.." She stammers out, looking nervous when she looks back at me.

"I just want to talk, to explain..why I'm here." I tell her, hoping that she sees the sincerity in my eyes. It's been 7 years, 7 years of hell without her and I guess I needed to see her, to make sure that she hasn't moved on like I haven't..I want to repair the damage I've done, the way I hurt her. I want to apologize for it all and make amends..I want her to see me like she did before, to be like we once were...crazy about each other.

"Sure..Come in." She says, nervousness in her tone as she steps aside and I make my way into her apartment, it's beautiful, huge glass windows that look out towards the busy streets of New York, the furniture is very girly, pinks, yellows and light cream colors all over the place..which makes me think of one thing, she lives alone or with a roommate because the open layout of her place is covered with pictures of a blonde girl and professionally done pictures that I know must have cost a lot of money to do.

"So, how have you been?" I ask her, turning away from the gaze that I have on a picture of Elena and this blonde girl, smiles on their faces and from the looks of it, the picture was taken someone in another city, the sun shining bright on their faces as Elena gives the blonde a piggy back ride in the photo, the beach in the background.

"It was taken in Hawaii..Oahu..She's my roommate." Elena explains, brushing pasted me and going straight for the fridge.

"Want something to drink?" She asks, turning around and looking over at me briefly as I nod, telling her that water would be just fine.

"Looks like you've done pretty well for yourself." I tell her, watching as she hands me the cold water. The moment our hands brush against each other for a split second, it's like an electric shock a current that makes me feel alive for the first time in years. Then, it's gone when I see her move her hand away, placing the necklace she was holding, out in front of us on the counter top.

"Yeah, I'm a model in New York City...Stefan, what are you doing here and how did you find me? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's nice to see you..But, we didn't really leave each other on good terms...last time I saw you, Kol Mikaelson was dragging your ass out of the apartment we had in Arizona together..." Elena explains, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ears as I lock my green eyes on her..God, I've missed her, missed the way she looks when she's pissed off, the sound of her voice, the way she used to say my name. I miss her, completely in every sense of the word.

"I know..I've seen some of your pictures. Also, I went back to the apartment and someone else was living there..I'm living with Damon in Scottsdale, now...We've gotten the whole "bachelor lifestyle" down pretty well. Elena, look...I'm not here to cause trouble..Lexi told me that she's kept in contact with you over the years and I just decided to see for myself how you were doing...Did she tell you that I was released a few months ago?" I ask her, watching as she places her hands on her hips and speaks in a soft tone.

"Ha..Lexi! Of course! Yeah, she did..I'm sorry that I couldn't come and see you more..But, Stefan you really screwed me over! I loved you so damn much and you...just...you screwed up! I hated you!" She says, a pissed off expression on her face as I nod.

"I know. I'm sorry." I tell her, hearing as Elena scuffs at my words and then we both turn to hear a whistle coming from the hallway. My eyes are stuck on her legs, trailing up to her face as the long legged blonde makes her way towards us and saunters into the kitchen.

"Damn, is he the new pizza guy? Because if he is..I would so invite him to my room...for a sexy pizza party." She states, her eyes sparking like large diamonds when she looks at me and then looks over at Elena. hands on her hips when she watches the blonde lean forward, her cleavage showing a bit through her thin white tank top as she bats her long eyes lashes at me and says "Caroline Forbes...Occupation...Model.. and smoking hot in a bikini too...And you are?"

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**Elena's P.O.V. **

I watch as Caroline grabs onto his hand, tossing her hair back when she sighs out a breath and part of me wants to smack her pretty little makeup covered face into next week. But, I keep my cool, yawning out loud as Caroline stops her movements, towards Stefan's arm, lightly trailing her fingers against his biceps.

"Stefan. Stefan Salvatore..I'm Ele-" He beings to say, we both watch as Caroline gasps, her face lighting up like someone who's just solved a really difficult math problem.

"You...are..thee..Stefan Salvatore? Jesus, Elena! You never told me that he was this hot! Goodness gracious...you are like model..material! Wait, are you?" Caroline questions, placing her hands on her hips as she shoots me a sudden look. Like you know, the one you give to your best friend and all is understood in that one intense gaze.

"Actually...I'm a con-artist..Uh...retired, wait..no...more like out of commission after 7 years in the good old Arizona State Penitentiary !" Stefan says, a chuckle in his voice as I watch Caroline's face fall into a frown.

"Oh, Well..Elena kind of failed to mention that you're an ex con." She says with a shrug of her shoulders, turning on her heels as she gives me an stern look and tries to leave the room with red cheeks, a face filled with total embarrassment.

"It's okay sweetheart. I'm not your type anyway..I like brunettes." Stefan tells her in a joking manner as we both hear Caroline let out a laugh, turning around to face us again.

"Oh, don't worry..I know!" She states, walking down the hallway quicker than expected and then her door slams shut, hearing as she lets out a loud "Son of Bitch!" before her voice goes silent.

"Is your roommate always that forward with strangers?" Stefan asks, his hands clasped in front of him as he looks down at the chain and the ring attached to it.

"Elena..." His voice trails off as I look down at it too. Heat and nervousness hitting me like a title wave as I let out a small laugh when he says "Nice ring..Elena..Care to explain why you still have it..Why you kept it after 7 years?" He asks as he watches me let out a staggered breath and my mouth opens to respond. But being this close to him, seeing him after all these years is like a slap in the face and all I can manage to mumble out is "I can explain..It sort of reminded me of you."

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**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Green_Eyes1989**

**-Until Next time-**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey All! So sorry that it's taken me so long to update this story. I've honestly been slacking on it because, I've been trying to decide if I should even continue with it. Anyways, this chapter isn't my best writing. But, I hope that some of you like it and hopefully, I'll be inspired to continue with this story line. **

**Thanks for reading & Enjoy!**

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**CHAPTER THREE-Loving You Is Endless- **

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

"It just reminded you of me? Elena, that's bullshit and you know it. You kept it because you still love me, somewhere in that ice cold heart of yours." I tell her, hearing as she scuffs, pushing herself away from the counter that she's leaning against, leaving me watching her movements as she walks over to the couch and sits down.

"Ice cold heart..Excuse me! And your still the same smug asshole you always were..How sweet. Get out, Stefan!" She yells, placing her water bottle on the coffee table in front of her, crossing her arms over her chest and locking her eyes on me. I get up from the chair that's in the kitchen and walk over to join her, sitting right next to her as she glares at me.

"Look. I'm sorry, I'm not here to insult you or to make your life shitty, because from what I can tell you've got it pretty nice here, in the big apple. So-" I begin to say, hearing Elena let out a staggered breath as she inhales deeply.

"So, what do you want then? If you didn't come here to bother me...But, you're clearly still here! What do you want?" Elena asks me in an annoyed tone, eyes rolling in the back of her head when she locks them on me and her fingers trail against the fabric of the couch that we're sitting on.

"I..Uh...I wanted to see you. Truth be told, you're the only person that I've thought about in the last 7 years and I know that we messed up and we broke up because of me..So, I guess..I'm here to ask for forgiveness, to redeem myself for ruining us." I tell her, hearing as Elena exhales heavily, running her hands through her hair when she lets out a small laugh.

"Seriously, Stefan. You flew out here to tell me that you're sorry? You know, you could have just asked around town, someone would have given you my number. You could have just called me to tell me that-" She rambles on. But, I hear myself cutting her off quickly. Placing my hand on hers, stroking her soft skin under my fingertips as I lock my eyes on her and my face turns solid, my smile quickly fading.

"I'm sick, Elena. I found out a year ago when I went in for an exam with a doctor in Arizona." I say, my voice getting quieter with each small word and I can feel the atmosphere between us shift as her eyes get glued to me when I clear my throat.

" What?" She asks, concern filling her tone as I look up at her, giving her a slightly smile as I say "It's a heart condition...I'm actually in New York to meet with one of the top cardiologists here to see if I can find out more about it and if he can put me on the transplant list for a new heart, how we can fix this, so that I can live a full and normal life." I tell her, hearing when she gasps, glossed over eyes, covered with unshed tears as she tilts her head to the side and gives me a weak smile.

"But, you'll be okay if you end up getting a transplant..right? You'll be better?" She says, as I squeeze her hand and she shakes her head back and forth.

"I'm sorry, Stefan..I'm so sorry for not being there for you and coming here, instead! I should have, maybe if we would have stayed-" Elena begins to say, tears starting to trickle down her face when she looks up at me again and I touch her cheeks, wiping away the tear stains on them.

"It wasn't your fault, Elena. I just came over here to see the doctor and as luck would have it. I heard that you lived here now. So I wanted to just tell you in person, it was a better idea, than telling you over the phone. I know, maybe I should have called and it's totally messed up that after 7 years, I just spring this on you and show up so unannounced and unexpectedly. But, I wanted you to know, to hear it from me and I wanted to see you, again." I tell her, watching as she wipes away more tears and sniffles, nodding at me.

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**Elena's P.O.V. **

It makes sense now, why he came all this way, to reconnect...Stefan could be dying! But, I'm still struggling to understand why he felt the need to see me, to fix the rift with me after so long. I mean, Stefan and I were engaged, once and we did love each other deeply. But, with his conviction and sentencing to prison. It changed me, I've spent the last 7 years, hating my ex-fiancé and being bitter towards him for ruining what I envisioned our perfect future to be like. Yet, I still do care about him and he's right.. 'deep down in my closed off, ice cold heart' I still love him too.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't spent our time apart pining over him or feeling sorry for what we've lost, I've just been angry and bitter. I have dated a few guys though, here and there and I'm currently still seeing one of them. His name is Tyler Lockwood and he's a model. Although, Tyler and I have been dating for four years now, I still don't see it going anywhere, though. Maybe's it's the fact that whenever I see Tyler around, he's just closed off and not as loving towards me as he once was or it could even be the simple and knowing knowledge that Tyler Lockwood is my replacement and my attempt at fixing my own damaged heart, gluing the pieces together after it was shattered by the one that it has always belonged too. But I'm failing at it these last four years. And the only person that can't seem to see it yet, is myself. I keep telling myself, convincing myself, that I'm happy with him, that we're good together and that Tyler is what makes me happy. But, I can't get over the fact that whenever I look at Tyler, I wish he was Stefan. Yet, I still hold onto to hope that maybe, by a miracle, I'll open up and let Tyler in, let him love me and I can move on completely from my former lover.

So, as I sit there, letting Stefan's words sink in and locking my eyes on him. I'm at a loss for words, I can't lose him. I just got him back again, just got the chance to get to rebuild and rekindle what we once were and open my heart up again to let them in.

I have spent the last few years being in a delusional relationship and filling this need of constant companionship because I've been afraid to be alone. You see, I have been living in fear from having my life ripped out from underneath me again, just like it was that day that Stefan was arrested and convicted of felony theft. Yet, I've always known that he was the one who didn't do it. However, all the evidence that Klaus had obtained and the fact that he hated Stefan since the day he started working at his office, didn't help in his case either.

Stefan was framed by another coworker, someone who was clearly on Klaus's side, for stealing money from his multimillion dollar investment firm. One of Chicago's high ranking and head leaders in the firm where Stefan worked at as an employee after college for a few months, in one of Klaus Mikealson's offices. Yet, when Klaus found out about the stealing that was going on. He instantly accused Stefan of it because he knew that Stefan had a minor criminal history of stealing, which he had overlooked during the hiring process and also just because he had a clear hatred for Stefan and how promising he seemed to be around the offices. After only a few months of working there, many of Stefan's co-workers except for a select few, had been telling Klaus that one day, Stefan could easily take over his position or even become his co-chair, if he worked hard enough and excelled at his work.

Although, over those few months and as more money started to disappear without a clear reason as to why. Klaus fired Stefan on the spot without much evidence to uphold his theory and he told him to never come back. He also somehow managed to convince his brother, Kol Mikealson. That surely enough, Stefan Salvatore was guilty and so then began our lives on the run and my fight to try and clear Stefan's name.

We had spent months on trying to make things work, trying to clear his name and on trying to reestablish ourselves from the incident. But on top of my parents hearing about Stefan's problems with Klaus and most of our so called friends, spreading rumors throughout the town of what happened and how they all thought that Stefan was surely guilty. He and I were left with only having one another to lean on, to trust. That was until we foolishly moved to Arizona, without even knowing that Kol was now working as a police officer there.

But, the one thing we did know was that he was full of vengeance and hatred towards the two of us for being let off the hook by the police department in Chicago because they didn't have enough solid evidence to hold Stefan for the crimes, the first time around, until that is, Kol reopened the unsolved case file and began digging further, into testimonies, seeing witnesses again, recanting their stories, changing their truths into lies and then, before we knew it...he was at our front door in the middle of the night, after Stefan, for tarnishing Klaus's company that had had suddenly gone belly up and a few of its offices closed. One of them being the main office in Chicago. Which in turn lead Klaus to lose thousands, maybe even millions of dollars due to the high profile scandal that surrounded him and the whole Mikaelson family, about the disgruntled employee stealing thousands from him, right under his nose and Klaus claiming that he got rid of his problem to late and that it had done irreparable damage to his image and his now, struggling business firm.

* * *

I'm worried about him, I knew that when I met Stefan he did have a few health issues. But, the heart condition is new, it's terrifying to know that after all this time, he's been sick and struggling in silence about it. "How long will it take to get a transplant? What are the odds that your body rejects it...What are-" I keep asking him, rambling and throwing questions in his direction like he knows all the answers. But, just one look in Stefan's green eyes and I know that he's terrified of what could happen to him if he finds out that it's a long wait to get a heart transplant, which usually happens to people who are on the list.

" Ha, maybe this is my punishment for being convicted in the case against Klaus. Maybe this is Gods way of saying, well..Son..You should have just been upfront and honest and just said 'Okay, I am guilty and stealing money from my former employer is my crime.' Stefan states, this distance look in his eyes when I glance over at him.

"Don't say that. You and I both know that you were wrongly accused! Stefan, what happened in Chicago wasn't your fault. I know that you have a hard past. We all do. But, I also know that as someone who still believes you are innocent, even if the courts had said otherwise. You did your time and you being sick now is not Gods way of punishing you!" I tell him, hearing as he exhales deeply, shifting his weight on the couch and changed the subject briskly.

"Look, I'm going to find out everything tomorrow. I have an appointment with the doctor. Was hoping that maybe you could go with me?" He asks, his eyes shifting from mine and to a picture that's on the table behind us. A picture of Tyler and I.

"Uh...unless you have other plans. I'm only in town for a few days and then I need to get back. Damon's actually selling the house in Arizona. He's planning on moving out here and so am I, he wants a change and to be somewhat closer to our parents that live upstate." He explains in a nervous tone as I clear my throat and give him a heartfelt smile.

"It's fine, that's great news! Look, Stefan. The picture of me and that guy..Uh..he's my boyfriend that I've been dating for the last few years. But, he won't mind if I go with you to this appointment. Plus, you'll need the extra support... Wait, what happened to Andy, Damon's girlfriend?" I ask him suddenly, brushing a strand of my hair behind my ears as I hear him laugh.

" Ha, boyfriend. I should have known. Uh...You wouldn't even believe me, if I told you about Damon and Andy." He says, a grin forming on his face, like he's relieved that I changed the subject once more.

"Oh come on. Try me." I tell him, smiling widely at him as he lays his head back on the pillows behind him and he looks over at me, the smiling lingering as he says "Andy left my brother for Kol Mikealson!"

"What? When did this happen?" I ask him in confusion, watching as Stefan closes his eyes and laughs a bit.

"Five years ago. Since then, Damon's been on this spiral of dating random women. You know, he's working as a plastic surgeon now. I mean, you'd think that he would be able to get all the dates that he wanted. But, all these women just like him for the money he has. Damon's actually the one that recommended me to this cardiologist, he's friends with him I guess. It's funny, because remember how he and I used to be..." Stefan says, his voice trailing off as I laugh, placing my hand on his arm, nodding my head at him.

"Yeah, the two of you used to always be at each other's throats when it came to who got Andy's attention. And, well..then, I came into the picture." I tell him, recalling the night that I had met Stefan in college. "You were at the party with Damon for the weekend event at the University of Hawaii and he brought Andy along..." I tell him, my memory taking me to the exact moment, the warmth of the bonfire hitting my skin, the smell of booze and loud music surrounding us as I watched them, yelling at each other over the girl that had just stormed off back inside, heading towards the dorm rooms.

_"Oh come on, Andy! Baby, I'm drunk..I'm sorry!" Damon shouted, running after her and kicking up the sand from the beach behind him. _

_"Girlfriend problems?" I asked him, walking up to Stefan as he leaned his back against a wooden post that held up the dock above our heads. _

_" Girlfriend problems." He said something, stupid to her." He said, looking down at his feet as he gave me a sheepish grin. _

_"Aha, well..mind if I hang out with you for a little bit. I'm avoiding this guy who's been chasing me around this party all night long." I explained with a laugh, looking around as he smiled at me. _

_"I'm Stefan. By the way." He said, extending his hand out towards me and smiling widely as I shook it, a grin forming on my face as I said "I'm Elena. Nice to meet you. So, who is the guy who ran off after that girl that looked really pissed off?" I asked._

_"That would be my older brother Damon. He's actually here to help me move into my new apartment, it's off campus." Stefan said, a smile on his face as I locked my eyes on him and nodded. _

_"Oh crap!" I shouted, noticing that the guy that was relentlessly flirting with me earlier was back and now he was heading in my direction. _

_"Kiss me." I commented, pushing Stefan back against the post as he gave me a confused look and then he noticed the guy. _

_"What? Why?" He asked, confusion in his green eyes as I wrapped my arms around him and leaned into his ear whispering "Because, that guy over there has been trying to hit on me, all night long and I want him to leave me alone, to think that I have a boyfrie-" I hear myself, unable to even finish the last few words as Stefan pushed my face away from his ear and brought his lips up to mine, leaving a quick kiss against them as we both turned and saw my 'stalker-date'._

_"Your dating him?" He asked, a dumfounded expression on his face as he laughed a bit, taking a step back from us when he watched Stefan place his arms around me, kissing my forehead as he responded. "Damn right, she is. Now, will you excuse us?" _

_"You are a life saver, Stefan!" I told him, watching over his shoulder as the guy walked away, head down and hands in his pockets, total disappointment on his face when he gave me one more glance. _

My memories of that night are dissolved when Stefan clears his throat, looking down at his cell phone and smiling. "Look, I'm going to get going. But, how about I take you out for breakfast in the morning, before we meet up with the doctor. It's not a date, just a nice little get together. Plus, I hate eating alone." He says, a smile on his face as he starts to get up and he watches when I follow his movements.

"Okay, sure. I'd like that." I comment, standing in front of him, my hands out stretched when he looks at me, his hands pulling me towards him into a tight hug. The types of hugs that I've missed from him, tight and secure, protective almost.

"I've missed you so much. Look, I'm sorry to have just shown up at your doorstep like this after so long. But, I just needed to see you, Elena. You've always been my rock in tough situations and I guess, I-" He begins to try and explain himself as I let go of him and lock my eyes on him, placing my finger onto his lips to silence his words.

"You don't need to explain. You needed someone besides Damon and your family to talk with. I'm glad you're here, Stefan. It's good to see you and whatever you'll need..I'm here. " I tell him, taking my finger off his lips as he locks his eyes on me, leaning forward and kissing my forehead and hugging me once more, exhaling deeply as he whispers against my hair. "Thank you."

* * *

**A/N: So Stefan being sick and moving to New York to be closer to his family with Damon..I kind of think it's because of Elena..But, that can be debated. Please let me know what you all think and if I should keep going or if I would just delete it all together. **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates to my stories at:Green_Eyes1989**

**-Until Next Time-**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry that's it takes me forever to update this story! Anyways, I hope that you all still are interested in reading it! I will try my best to keep this one updated as frequently as my others! **

**Thanks for reading & Enjoy!**

**Follow me on Twitter at: Be_Passionate24**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR- Loving You Is Endless- **

**Elena's P.O.V. **

It's just lunch..That's it and his doctor's appointment..That's all. We're friends. Not lovers, not engaged like we were. We're just friends. But, how can you be friends with someone who you clearly still love with all your heart? It's impossible.

I can't shake the thought of Stefan out of my head as I roll out of bed and walk towards the window in my room, pulling back the curtains as the sunshine hits my face and I wince at the bright light. But, just when I exhale a deep breath, I hear Caroline's voice bouncing off the walls when she steps in front of my bedroom door. Leaning against the door frame, an apple in her hands as she comments "Katherine called..We have a photo shoot today!"

Shit! I totally forgot about it..It was supposed to be at 8am this morning and that's the same time that I told Stefan that I was going to meet him for breakfast. Caroline yawns as she walks into my room and sits down on my unmade bed, picking off a few pieces of clothes and throwing them down onto the floor.

"What's got you all in a weird mood this morning?" Caroline asks, watching as I tie my hair back and pull my red Nike sweatshirt over my head.

Caroline laughs when I puff out a breath, trying to not swallow my mouth full of hair. "It's Stefan. He's sick Caroline and...I'm worried about him." I declare, watching as Caroline shifts on my bed and pats the empty seat next to her, sadness in her eyes as she looks up at me and gives me a weary smile.

"How sick is he?" She asks, running her hands through her hair and exhaling deeply, waiting for me to explain everything. But, I don't..I don't want to tell her that he's here for a heart transplant...that if he doesn't get it. He could die and the chances of us ever fixing our broken relationship would all be for nothing.

"He's here for a reason, Caroline and I'm going to find out more when I go out with him for breakfast in an hour. Look, I know we have that photo shoot for Vogue that's being shot by none other than Katherine Pierce herself!" I remind myself out loud, mentally trying to shake the thoughts of curse words that will escape Katherine's mouth if I don't show up.

"Please, just tell Katherine that I had a personal issue to attend to and that I'll be at the next one." I comment, feeling as Caroline latches onto my wrist and locks her eyes on me.

"Do you know what Katherine will do if you don't show up?" Caroline asks, a worried tone in her voice as I nod..I know exactly what she'll do. But, being with Stefan right now is my top priority and to be quite honest, I could care less about what Katherine thinks.

"Caroline. Please, I don't ever ask you for very much. But, I'm asking you for this. I'll deal with Katherine when I see her later today. Just, give me today to be here for Stefan. That's all I ask." My voice breaks a little at the thought of my modeling career being totally tarnished by missing out on this photo shoot. But, the one thing that I've always cared about more than my career is my friends and family and they always come first.

"She'll ruin your career..Elena. If you don't show up today. She will sabotage you! Plus, it doesn't help that Rebekah is like Katherine's fucking minion!" Caroline reminds me, hearing as I let out a nervous laugh and lean my head against her shoulder, sighing.

"I know. But, Caroline..He needs me and I'm finally getting a chance to be with him again for a little bit. I've been so pissed off at him for so long that I need some time with him to realize that none of this was ever Stefan's fault...Thing's just happen to good people in which we have no control over." I tell her, feeling as Caroline slips her arms around my waistline and exhales deeply. "I know..You don't want to say it out loud. But, you two still have a thing and that's why you want to go out with him..You want to see if that spark is still there."

* * *

**Caroline's P.O.V. **

"Where the hell is my model!" I hear Katherine shout once I walk in thru the door, she's got a clipboard in her hands, the photographer is sitting on the floor, trying to get a better shot of Rebekah as I step behind them and go towards the backrooms, where we keep our things, totally ignoring Katherine's bickering that's going on behind me.

I hear the annoying clicking of Katherine's high heels as she follows me into the room, closing the door behind her when she nearly explodes. "So, nice of you to join us Miss Forbes! But, I'm a few models short. Two of them are running late and for some reason, I don't see your roommate glued to your hip like she usual is! Now, where is Elena Gilbert?" Katherine asks me, narrowing her eyes on me as I shrug my shoulders and try really hard not to laugh at the way she's acting..totally unprofessional and a total bitch!

"Um..She had some personal issue to take care of. She'll be in later today." I explain, hearing as Katherine scuffs and rolls her eyes at me.

"Hmm..Excuse me...She will be in later? There is no later, Caroline! Ryan, our photographer doesn't have all day to wait for her 'high and all mighty' self and I honestly don't have to time either. I have to book you guys onto a flight for Germany for next week. In which, you girls are meeting with a high end retailer to model for his clothing line. It's one of the biggest fashion shows in the country that they have each year." Katherine says, her long fingernails tapping against the clip board in her hands as she looks me up and down and smiles with a sinister grin.

"Have you gained weight recently..Caroline?" She asks, her snippy tone is making me want to walk over to her and bitch slap her even harder now, the only thing that's preventing me from doing so is that fact that I really love what I do. But, now with the weight question out in the air..I really want to punch her!

"No. I haven't for your information." I tell her in a stern tone, watching as Katherine smiles, letting out a laugh as she comments. "Oh, my mistake..It must be that sack like sweater that you're wearing. I suggest you burn it. It makes you look ugly."

Ugly? Oh...If I knew that I wouldn't lose this gig and be in huge trouble for charging Katherine into the wall of this room. I would do it in a heartbeat, tell her that she's a lonely ungrateful woman that needs to get a taste of her own medicine. She's a heartless and uncaring bitch and I've had about enough of her wicked ways. But, then again..I need this job!

"Excuse me?" I ask, my hands on my hips as I glare at her. The anger never leaving my eyes when I step forward and watch as Katherine smiles even wider as she repeats. "I can't have my models looking like they just walked off the streets. So, next time you decide to walk into my establishment wearing that sweater..I suggest that you dispose of it before you show up."

Here it goes..My last straw as my anger takes over and I shout...

"Bitch! God, Katherine you are such a bitch!" I shout at her. The words come out suddenly, shocking both her and I as I step in front of her, locking my eyes onto hers, watching as Katherine stands up a bit straighter when her eyes grow with this disgusting pride..She's actually happy that someone called her a bitch? What the hell is wrong with this woman?!

"Thank you, Caroline. You and I are done here. Now, I suggest you go into hair and makeup before I change my mind and tell you to get the hell out of my modeling agency..Because, if you call me that one more time or anything like that..I will fire your little overweight ass!" She says, a sneer forming onto her lips when she turns away from me and leaves the room without another word.

* * *

"You called her a bitch!" Bonnie exclaims as she places my hair into curlers and I laugh a bit, my cheeks beat red at the thought of calling my boss..the woman who gets me modeling gigs..a bitch! What the hell was I thinking..It's like signing the death sentence to my whole career!

"Yes...Well, it kind of just slipped out of my mouth really. Ugh, she wants Elena and I to go to Berlin, Germany next week to meet with this high end designer and do this super popular runway show." I comment, watching as Bonnie turns back towards the makeup kit beside her and places one of the small brushes onto the table, grabbing a bobby pin to pull back my bangs and looking at me through the mirror.

"Next week? Isn't that a little too soon? I mean, you girls just got back a month ago from Tokyo." Bonnie points out, watching as I roll my eyes.

"Well, it's Katherine..She's on this high of getting us jobs and making us the most photographed women in the world. She's a little obsessed with her models and stuff. Like, for example..She called my clothing choice ugly and told me to burn my sweater oh and she pretty much called me fat all in the same breath." I say in a snarky tone, hearing as Bonnie laughs and turns the chair I'm sitting in towards her.

"God, you're right...Katherine Pierce is a bitch. But, I think that she cares more about the money that she gets from all these photo shoots and appearances that her models make than the actual well being of you guys." Bonnie says, giving me a weak smile.

Bonnie's right. Katherine Peirce only gives a damn about herself and to be honest...I think that's why she's such a bitch because she's so lonely. "Do you ever think she's been on a date?" I ask suddenly, my eyes widen at the thought in my head.

"What are you thinking, Caroline?" Bonnie asks me, her voice faltering when she notices the glistening in my blue eyes.

"I'm thinking that Katherine need's a taste of her own medicine..Someone who would put her in her place and then maybe she'll stop being such a maniac!" I explain, hearing as Bonnie lets out a deep breath when she says "Who do you have in mind for her..She wouldn't date anyone from here. They all think she's an evil and conceited designer."

"Oh, Elena's ex-fiancé has an older brother. Something tells me that they would either really hate each other or they would really like each other..But, we won't be able to find out until, well..They meet." I answered, a gleeful smile at the thought of Katherine, the current Miss Bitch of the Universe, getting a date with Stefan Salvatore's brother who sounds like just the perfect match for her.

"He has a brother? Elena's ex-fiancé?" Bonnie asks me, watching as I nod my head.

"Yeah, she told me all about the Salvatore boys last night after Stefan left the apartment. And for what it sounds like, Damon..the older one, would be perfect for my plan."

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

Elena's got this nervous and anxious look in her eyes as she sits across from me in the booth at the diner. She looks worried and I can't help and not ask what's going on. Her brown eyes widen as I place my hands onto the table in front of me and smile at her, a sweet grin on my face as I look at her.

"You look nervous...Ha, I thought I was one who should be nervous..I'm the one going to talk to the doctor about a surgery that could or could not help me live a longer life." I tell her, hearing when Elena lets out a laugh, leaning towards me and cupping her hands over my own.

"I'm sorry. You're right. Stefan, you'll be just fine. I promise you, everything will be just fine." She advises as I smile at her, squeezing her hand when she looks down at her watch and sighs.

"We should probably get going if your appointment is at 9 this morning." She says, letting go of my hands and turning to grab her purse.

"Elena, thank you for coming with me to all this. You know, I hate to keep you from all the things I'm sure that you should be doing righ-" I begin to say, watching as she briskly lifts her head from the lock on her black purse, shaking her head.

"None sense. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now. You know, I've missed this..just the two of us." She confesses. The redness in her cheeks picks up a bit as I clear my throat and place a tip onto the table, along with the holder that includes our bill and the cash to pay for it.

"Yeah, I've missed this too. Just the two of us." I tell her, smiling when I get up and extend my hand out towards, watching when Elena gives me a hesitant look and looks at my out stretched hand for a moment.

"I don't bite. Come on...Let's go meet this doctor." I comment, smiling widely when she gives me a grin and grabs onto my hand, stepping closer towards me as I lead us out the door of the diner.

* * *

"What do you think the doctor will be like, I mean...Do you know him..Have you heard of him before? Like, before Damon mentioned him." She asks, a curious tone in her voice when she takes a seat next to me in the empty exam room.

"I have no idea. Damon just said that he's one of the best and that-" My voice cuts off when the door opens and a tall, dark brown haired man with a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck, steps inside the room. He's looking down at the chart in his hands, not really paying attention to either of us until I clear my throat and then he looks over at both me and Elena with a shocked expression on his face. His hands shake a bit and he chokes out his words as he says "Wow, out of all the people that I could have ran into today..I get to see you two again after all these years. So, how have you been, Mr. Salvatore?"

"Well, Dr. Elijah Mikaelson. After your brother framed me and threw me into jail. I found out that I could possibly be dying until I get a heart transplant. So, Damon recommended you of all people to be my doctor without even telling me that you were in New York. Excuse me as I mentally remember to kill my older brother when he lands in New York tonight." I respond, a sarcastic tone in my voice when I look over at Elena who looks like she's about to pass out at the sight of Elijah Mikealson, Klaus's brother standing in front of her with a smile on his face, gazing down out her hands as he frowns and says "No ring. Hm..What a shame. I really thought the two of you would have been married by now. You really loved her, Stefan. I remember you telling me that once."

* * *

** Thanks so much for reading and I will try to update soon!**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey all! Thanks so much for all the reviews. Anyways, Here's CH.5! Enjoy and Please let me know what you all think. **

**Also, there is a flashback in this update & it's in italics! **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at:Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading! **

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE-Loving You Is Endless**

**Elena's P.O.V. **

"Well, thing's change...We..Well, you know what happened. Thanks to your brother." I say. My tone is harsh and to the point as Elijah sighs and exhales deeply, heading towards an empty chair to sit down and discuss everything with us.

"Look, Elena. I'm sorry for the things that my family did to you and to Stefan. But, I'm nothing like my brother. That's why I moved out to New York. To distance myself from my family and who they are. My sister, Rebekah and I moved out here to start new lives and not be under the microscope of what my family name carries." He explains, placing his slight shaking hands on top of the folder with Stefan's name on it as he clears his throat to continue.

"Anyways, as I understand it, you have a very dire heart condition that will require surgery, recovery time, possible medication and frequent checkups to make sure that the new transplant takes. Your brother, Damon told me a little bit about your situation, Stefan and I believe that I can help you." Elijah says, looking over from Stefan and then to me briefly, then looking back down at the papers which include mostly all of Stefan's medical history.

"Yeah. Well, I'm hoping you can..I didn't really fly all the way out here for you to tell me that you can't help me." Stefan tells him, a sarcastic tone as he watches when Elijah leans back into his seat and sighs.

"Stefan, you can trust me...remember?" He questions, gazing over at me as I look over at Stefan, watching him rub his face with his hands, closing his eyes and exhaling deeply, like he's remembering a moment back in time when Elijah was trustworthy..unlike the rest of his family.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

_"Tell him that I didn't steal the damn money, Elijah! I didn't do it...Why would I? Why would he think I would do such a thing...give me one good reason!" I shouted at him, my hands in my pockets as I paced the floor of his condo, finally sitting down after a while. The place was huge, large windows all around, modern furniture, tile flooring throughout the whole space and a dark colored marble slab on the island inside of the kitchen that included cherry colored cabinets . You could see all of Phoenix from the view as the sun set over the city. _

_"I tried..Stefan! I tried telling him that you had nothing to do with it. Believe me! I know that you wouldn't be that stupid in stealing money from my brother because of her. You wouldn't do it because of Elena! You're trying to be a better person because of her..You want to marry her and you love her. Trust me when I say that I know what it's like to change for a woman. But, in a good way of course." He told me, handing me a ice cold beer as I leaned against the couch cushions and exhaled a deep breath. _

_"You know, her parents have only met me a handle full of times and they already hate me..They think that because of my past that I'm a bad influence on her..Like Elena's going to catch the 'being a criminal' bug from me or something." I told him, watched as Elijah took a seat across from me and laughed a bit._

_"Oh, come on! Elena Gilbert is far from being a criminal..You make it sound like it's a disease!" Elijah countered. _

_"Yeah, well...for some people it is..You know, I used to get a rush from stealing stupid things here and there and from changing identities. But, I learned quickly that being stupid like that, could and would eventually get me caught. That's why I stopped doing all that nonsense. I don't want to end up in prison for it...I can't, Elijah. I'm trying to be a better man, I'm trying to get my life together and prove to myself and to the girl that I love that I can be everything she needs...So, Elijah..I'm begging you. Please tell, Klaus, make him understand that I didn't steal anything from him in Chicago. I swear, that it wasn't me. Please explain that to him." I pleaded with Elijah, watched carefully as he got up from his seat, leaning over me when he placed his hand onto my shoulder and softly said. "I will do everything I can to talk to my brother. But, Stefan...If anything goes wrong..I'll make sure to keep an eye on Elena for you. Because, I know that's who you're really worried about. I promise." _

"So, right after I was put into prison by your brother..you started medical school and became a doctor..Well, that's kind of funny because a few years later..Elena ended up in New York too." I say out loud, hearing as Elijah lets out a chuckle and turns towards Elena with a smile on his face.

"Do you care to explain, Miss Gilbert..or shall I?" He asks her, gazing over at her with wide eyes as I look between the two of them in total confusion.

Elena adjusts herself nervously in her seat as I hear her breath hitch inside of her throat before she starts to speak. "Well, Elijah got my number from someone a year after you were put away and he told me that his sister was trying to be a model in New York. He explained that he and Rebekah had both gone their separate ways. But, that he thought I could contact her and ask about a job. So, that's how I got to be here..Through, Elijah and your words to me of getting out of Arizona and making a life for myself..They stuck with me and now, here I am. Elijah and I have been checking in on each other every once in a while and last year, he finally confessed to me about why he wanted me out here in the first place." She says, twirling her thumbs in a nervous habit kind of way and looking up at me when I ask "So, did he tell you about the thing that I said..About how if anything ever happened to me that I wanted you to be looked after?"

Elena nods, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ears as she smiles and says "Yes. He told me everything and the one thing that he and I both agree on, which is that you were framed in Chicago and that you are an innocent man."

"You think, I was framed too..You believe me?" I ask Elijah, my head tilted to the side as he shrugs his shoulders and states "Of course I do, Stefan. Because, I know who stole from my brother and it defiantly wasn't you."

"What? You've known this whole time about who was stealing from your own brother's company and you still let them put me in prison for 7 years! Look, Elijah..I'm sorry. But, I don't want you to be my doctor..I wouldn't feel comfortable with it." I tell him, hearing as he inhales deeply and then lets out a staggered breath through his nose.

"I didn't have enough evidence to prove it at the time! I'm sorry Stefan...If I had enough evidence to help you out and to make it so that someone better then that shitty lawyer you had at the time could exonerate you..I would have done it. But, I couldn't prove that it was the other guy. Now, don't be stupid with this condition of yours. Because, if you don't get help for it and the treatment that you need..Your heart will eventually give out on you and you'll die." He explains in a firm tone, locking his eyes on me and watching when I begin to push myself up off of the seat I'm sitting in and then quickly sit back down.

"Fine. But, the only way that I'll let you operate and take my case is if we don't have any more secrets. Now, I trusted you a long time ago with the one person that I love the most and you kept that promise..So, be honest with me, Elijah. Who stole from Klaus..If you don't think it was me. Then, who was it?" I ask him, my voice is shaking a bit as my question lingers.

"His name is Mason Lockwood. Months after you started working at Klaus's company. I went there for a visit, I was in town and decided to stop by to check up on things, make sure things were locked up and to just keep an eye out to see if I could find out what Klaus was saying about when he told me that someone was stealing from him. But, when I went into the office, there Mason was, still 'working' late with these stacks of paper on his desk and when he saw me, he suddenly changed his whole demeanor, like he was clearly hiding something. Although, I found it very odd that there were only a few cars still in the parking lot, one being his and the other was a van belonging to the cleaning crew. I had told Klaus about it. But, he brushed me off, saying that it wasn't a big deal because many of his employee stayed late to work and that maybe Mason was just the last one to leave." Elijah explains, taking a pause before he continues.

" However, I'm fairly certain that Elena knows that family very well, You are after all..dating his nephew." He concludes, his darkened eyes blazing as I turn my head in a quick motion, it's spinning as I secure a fixed stare on Elena when she gives me a absent minded looking glance and speaks with an uneasy tone. "I didn't know...He told me that his Uncle died a few years ago and that's why he moved out to New York, I never knew that he was connected to the Chicago scandal...Stefan, I swear to you that I didn't know."

* * *

**A/N: I really hope that this update wasn't that confusing...I tried really hard to not make it so confusing...**

**Anyways, Mason Lockwood..Tyler's uncle is connected to the whole "Mikaelson scandal" that included Stefan?! WHAT!? Oh and how about the whole..Elena knowing Elijah thing because years earlier he made a promise to keep an eye on Elena for Stefan while he was in prison..Hmm... :) **

**I guess..we'll have to just wait and see what happens next! ;) **

**-Until Next Time!-**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey all! So here's CH.6 it's kind of SE centric and a little bit of a filler chapter to be honest. So sorry for not updating this one sooner..terrible writers block! **

**Anyways, hope you all like it regardless and thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX-Loving You Is Endless**

**Elena's P.O.V.**

Stefan's angry with me and I can see it in his darkened green eyes as he gets up and excuses himself from Elijah's office. Elijah watches me for a moment, almost like he's waiting for me to make a move..Like he's waiting for me to go after him.

But, instead I pause as I look down at the papers in his hands, Stefan's medical records in front of us both. "Is he going to die?" I hear myself ask, tears around the rims of my darken black eye liner, threatening to spill over onto my lightly dusted blush covered cheeks.

"Elena, he could. Yes, he could die if he doesn't get this operation within the next three weeks. His heart is very weak and he could die. But, also there is a chance that the transplant that he receives won't take and he could die from a heart attack or stroke. Miss Gilbert...I'm sorry, but without this operation. It doesn't look very good for him and if he doesn't receive it, Stefan could have anywhere from 6 months to a year to live" He confesses, watching as I shake my head, trying to prevent the already flowing tears from going into my mouth as I nod at him, covering my mouth with my shaking hands when I open Elijah's office door, disappearing down the hall and go in search of Stefan.

* * *

It doesn't take me very long to find him on a bench outside of the hospital. He's got his head down, hands in between in legs and he looks terrified.

"Stefan, let's talk about this. Please, don't be mad at me. I swear that I didn't know..I had no idea that Tyler's uncle Mason was even alive! Please believe me, when I tell you that I'm not involved with them..I met Tyler after you went into jail and I had no idea of his family history." I tell Stefan, taking cautious steps towards him as he rubs his face with hands in frustration.

"You had no idea? Ha..Damn it, Elena! This isn't about Tyler, don't you see that. It's about Mason. I really could give a shit less about your boyfriend, he can lie to you as much as he likes..It doesn't concern me anymore..It's not like your my girlfriend or fiancé anymore, I don't really need to worry about you. I don't even really blame you for the whole Tyler bullshit." He says, looking away from me and towards a group of doctors who are walking back into the hospital.

"Your jealous of Tyler? Stefan, you showed up the other night out of nowhere after 7 years! What did you expect..that I was supposed to wait around for you! I waited, I waited for 4 fucking years for you and you never showed up to get me..Like we had planned. Remember, you had said that you'd make it up to me that you weren't guilty and that once you proved it and got out. We'd go someplace secluded with just a few of our friends and get married. No big ceremony. Don't you remember that?" I ask him, changing the subject as I take a seat next to him.

Stefan glares at me almost, clearing his throat as he laughs a bit. " Yeah. But, promises can be broken..I had no idea where you were..I didn't know about it until Lexi messaged me and told me about your whereabouts. I wasn't excepting for you not to move on. I guess, I just never thought that it would be with Mason's nephew." He states, his voice detached and cold when he looks away again and I scoot a bit closer towards him.

"If I would have known...I wouldn't have ever started anything with Tyler. Stefan, please know that. I just, I was a mess after you went into prison and I just needed a-" I try to say as Stefan shrugs his shoulders back, scoffing at my word choice when he finishes my thoughts for me.

"You needed a distraction and that's all Tyler Lockwood is for you. Then, why are you even with him. Using him to mend a broken heart?" Stefan asks me, gazing over to see my shaking hands as I nod.

"I'm not going to lie to you. Yes. Tyler and I, we don't work and all we do is fight. We're too different people and the only thing we have in common is this stupid career. It's pointless to be with someone that you barely have anything in common with." I reply, my eyes falling to my high heels when suddenly Stefan's words cut into my already fragile heart.

"Well, it's better to be with someone who you love...I mean, I would say that you and I could start up our relationship again, after you dump Tyler's dumbass. But, why would you want to be a man who might eventually die on you?" Stefan asks, a joking in his tone when he watches me push my back away from the bench to turn myself to look at him, straight into his now saddened dark eyes.

"Don't say that. You're not going to die. Do you hear me? Stefan, you're going to live a happy and full life with the woman that you love...Even if it's not me. I want you to be happy because that's what you deserve..A lifetime of it, of laughter and love and...To be loved by someone who loves you, just like I did." I tell him, watching as he narrows his eyes on me and gives me a small smile.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

I love her. I've never stopped caring about her or loving her. Even when I was at my worst with the conviction and jail time, even when I had nothing else to turn to..I held out hope that Elena would be waiting for me..Just like we had planned. Yet, plans change and promises break.

My body tightens a little when she places her warm hand into my arm and rubs it a bit, smiling at me as I nod at her. "I know, sweetheart. So do you. I love you, Elena. I've never stopped loving you and I just..I guess if I don't get enough time to say it. I want you to hear those words for as long as I have left, I want you to be the one by my side if I die tomorrow. Because, their true. I don't care that you're with Tyler..Because, I know what you're doing." I comment, looking over to see her head pop up from its lock on a passerby.

"Stefan...I can't.. I-" She says in a hesitant tone, watching as I lean towards her, inching closer as she locks her eyes on me and nearly whispers out "What am I doing?"

I swallow hard, staring into her curious brown eyes, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear as she breathes out a staggered breath and steadies her gaze upon me. "You're hiding from everything that could make you happy. I could make you happy. I know it's selfish. But don't you remember...You and I were happy once." I say, watching as she tries to lean back. But, the good old push pull that had always been there between us returns and she slowly inches closer. However, just as I want to kiss her, I push back for a minute, changing the subject into something important.

"I want you to help me find Mason Lockwood. I think it's time that he answers a few questions that I have for him. Help me clear my own name, Please." I state, watching when she blinks at me, putting a bit of distance between us, when she sighs.

"Tyler won't tell me anything. I can try. But, Stefan...I just know that he's very secretive." She states, her eyes glued on my lips as I speak.

"Well, use your charm and tactics. I'm sure they'll work out well. Because I want to do two things and know that they will make an impact if I do end up being a dead man in the next 6 months." I tell her, placing my hand between us as she glances down at it, running her hands nervously through her hair.

"One is to clear your name. Okay, I'll try my best to help you. So, what's the other thing?" I hear Elena ask, her eyes lighting up on me when I get up, pulling her body up with me by her hands as she gives me another confused look, ready to say something. But, my finger on her lips stop any words from flowing.

"I want to fix the mess I made when I left. I know you still love me, Elena. I can see it in your face and it's obvious since you even kept that engagement ring I had given you. You can deny it as much as you want. But, it's always in the eyes..deep down, I just know that your love for me, like mine for you..Never went away." I tell her, pausing for a moment as she swallows and continues to stare at me.

"So, let me prove to you that I'm not the same guy I was when I was sent away. I love you and I really want to prove it, first off by showing you that I am innocent and secondly, by spending as much time as I can with you." I tell her, glancing over to see a small smile on her face as she lets go of my hands and shrugs her shoulders back, turning away from me for a moment as she says "How are you going to prove, to me that you're not that guy anymore. Because, I don't want this new version of you. I want-" She starts to say, gazing down to see my hand on her wrist, stopping her words when I pull her towards me, our bodies are toe to toe, eyes locked on each other when I nod and reply for her. "You want him. You want the guy I was before I ended up in this mess..The one you fell in love with. I know." I comment, wrapping my arms around her tightly as I lean into Elena and leave a kiss upon her lips, feeling as she buries her face into the curve of my neck and inhales heavily when she mutters out "I've missed you so much. Please, Stefan..Don't leave me again."

* * *

**A/N: So, anyone else think that there will be a lot of drama with Elena trying to get Mason's location from Tyler..I mean, let's face it..The guy isn't dead..or is he?**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey all! I totally suck..I've been so busy. But, hope things will calm down soon so that I can update my stories more frequently. Anyways, here's CH.7! Hope you all like it. **

**Thanks so much for reading & enjoy! **

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN-Loving You Is Endless**

**Damon's P.O.V. **

I got in earlier than I was supposed to. Took the first flight out of that excessive 110 degree weather and now here I am, stranded at the JFK International airport, watching all the travelers pass me by..I swear, once I see my little brother, I'm going to kill him. He was supposed to pick me hours ago and yet, I'm still sitting here...waiting around with about two empty coffee cups by my feet, working on the third one in my hands, when suddenly my cell phone rings.

"Damon, speaking." I answer in a sarcastic tone, hearing when she scoffs and I can see her rolling her eyes at my sarcasm, without even having to see her face.

"Have you seen Stefan yet? Where's your brother, Damon. How is he doing?" She asks, worry in her tone as I clear my throat.

"Lexi, he's fine at the moment, as far as I know. Look, stop calling me. You've left me like 10 messages!" I tell her, suddenly feeling someone tap me on the shoulder, clearing his throat when I look up at him, a smile on his face as he pats my shoulder and nods at the cell phone in my hands, eyeing me when I hand him the cell phone.

"It's just, Lexi. She's pissed that I came here without her. Will you just tell her to stop freaking out and-" I begin to say, stopping in mid sentence and locking my eyes on the long legged, brunette, a warm smile on her face and tears in her brown eyes as she looks up at me and says "Damon, it's been a while."

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V. **

He still looks the same. That dark hair, those ocean blue eyes and that smirk that he's always worn is evident and present on his face as he exhales and utters out my name, like he's just seen a ghost. "Elena Gilbert. Of course, I should have known that the first person my brother would seek out in the big apple, is you." Damon says in a way that makes my skin crawl. It's almost as if he thought that Stefan wouldn't even come looking for me. Even after Lexi had told me where I was and which part of New York I was living in. But, Damon and I both know that..he would have either way.

"Well, Damon. He needed some support. What better way to get that than to reach out to me. I know what he's going through and I already told him that I will not be leaving his side at all. I've promised him that as long as Stefan get's this heart surgery that he needs, I'll be there." I comment, pushing my way past Stefan's older brother, hearing as he groans and when I look back at him, from the corner of my eye, I can see that he's rolling his own at me.

"What is it, Damon? I know that you want to blame me for a lot of things that happened between Stefan, me and you in the past. But, you and I both wanted the same thing, to see Stefan go free. Don't you remember that? We promised each other that we'd do anything. So, please-." I start to say, hearing as Damon scoffs and walks in front of me, blocking me from going anywhere, glaring at me as he spits out. "You weren't there for him when he needed you. I really don't even know why your here now...It's not like you being here, will help Stefan recover, faster..You had your chance to prove how much you loved him when he first went into prison and you barely visited him. You failed. So, go home, Elena and stop acting like you saw him a lot in the 7 years that he was in prison and that you give a damn now." Damon says in an agitated tone, his eyes glued to my face as I back away, gazing over at Stefan who's got this saddened look in his eyes, one full of regret for even bringing me near his brother.

"Fine. I'm sorry for even being here. I just thought that you and I had already mended things between us. But, I guess not." I comment, shrugging my shoulders back, exhaling deeply when I take another step back and turn around, hearing Stefan yell at Damon over my shoulder when I walk away.

"Elena! Wait." Stefan shouts, stopping me in my tracks, tears welling up into my eyes when I exhale deeply before I turn towards him, feeling his hands rub against my back.

"He's right. I shouldn't be here. You need to spend time with your brother, Stefan. Look, I'll call you once I find something about Tyler's uncle. Um, I'll see you around." I tell him briskly, feeling as he grips onto my arm and pulls me near to him, our eyes locked, lips just centimeters apart as he whispers "I don't care what Damon thinks. I'm glad you're here." Stefan comments, his lips gravitating towards mine as I close my eyes and feel when he leaves a soft kiss upon them, his thumb caressing my cheek when he slowly backs away and says "I'll call you later."

* * *

I end up back at the apartment, my mind racing with ways to try and have Tyler tell me everything he knows about his uncle and his schemes with Klaus and the Mikaelson's. But, I know that it won't be that easy. He won't just give up everything he knows without a price or something. Because, that's just how Tyler is.

"Mason being involved with them...It has to be more than just him working there..." I mutter out to myself, bending down to pick up my laptop as I open the search engine and type in his name, my eyes growing wide when I continue to scroll and suddenly I remember it, something that Tyler had told me a long time about his uncle..._"He had a gambling problem. He was very deep into his addiction and took him years to fix it. But, before he died..I still think he struggled with it . He was in a lot of debt and he owed a lot of people, Elena." _

My shaking hands and spinning mind place my computer on the coffee table next to me as I call Stefan, my voice is even trembling as he answers, I hear a loud blaring sound in the back, which dies down more as he tells me to hang on.

"Hey, did you talk to Tyler at all?" Stefan asks me.

"Um..No. But, I did remember something that he told me a year ago. Mason was a gambler and he was really deep into it. I know this sounds really stupid. But, do you think that Mason framed you because he was stealing from Klaus's company to feed his gambling habit and pay off the people that he may have owed?" I ask Stefan, hearing as he laughs a little. I can clearly picture him shaking his head as he sighs.

"Elena, I think it's your imagination playing with you. Yeah, Mason may have been a gambler. But, why would he steal from Klaus and frame me? I mean-" Stefan starts to argue with me as I cut him off.

"He framed you because he wanted what you had, he was jealous of the up and coming star that you were becoming within Klaus's company! When you went into prison you were charged with embezzlement, stealing money from the place that you worked at. Which, would have been thrown out if they looked closer and interviewed every person. The investigators on your case only interviewed a few people and they looked into your past, saw that you had a few charges. Part of me thinks that since you already had a criminal background, that they just decided that it was just a matter of time to get you on more charges, So, they put you in prison. But, I bet you that if they would have looked closer and that Kol wasn't the arresting officer. They would have realized that your finger prints weren't never on any of that money. I know that you didn't do it, Stefan and I'm going to do anything I can, to prove it." I try to explain, hearing as Stefan scoffs slightly from my words.

"Elena, talk to Tyler and see what he says. I'm not saying that your idea isn't possible. But, it just seems a little too much. What, now you think that Mason faked his own death and took off with the money he stole from Klaus?" Stefan asks me, telling me that he needed to get back into the restaurant before Damon came looking for him.

" You never know! Fine. But, think about that day..The day before you got arrested. Think hard, Stefan. Do you remember who came to see you two weeks after your arrest made the headlines everywhere and you were already in jail!" I tell him, listening when he exhales and once more tells me to call Tyler and that he needs to go.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V.**

I didn't remember it at the time because he had looked very different. But, with Elena's words ringing in my mind..I can still see his face, clear as day when I close my eyes and lean against the cool brick building, outside of the exit door near the ally way of the restaurant.

_"Well, Well. Stefan Salvatore. I'm sorry that you're in here man. It's a shame really. Embezzlement and fraud? Ouch." He said in a sarcastic tone, watching as I tried to place my clasped and handcuffed hands on the small desk in front of me._

_"What are you doing here? Come to make fun of me and taunt me? I'm where you wanted me to be. Klaus, you and I both know that I'm not the guilty one here! I was framed! someone framed me and I swear to god that I will prove it. I just need time, I need time!" I shouted at him, watching as he shook his head in disappointment, leaning against the glass, his hands in his pockets as he got up and glared at me. "You're where you should be, Mr. Salvatore. I just came to see that your paying for what you did to me and my family. Besides, who would want to steal from me. Other than you of course..." _

The memory hits me hard as I slide down against the brick wall, trying to catch my breath when I close my eyes and inhale deeply. Mason Lockwood...I knew that his name was familiar when I heard Elijah speak it at the hospital. But, I couldn't remember where I had heard his name or seen his face before, until now, the reminder of him coming back in waves...

_"Mason Lockwood! He's your new employee that was hired the same time that I was. If I were you, Klaus..I wouldn't trust him. Mark my words, he's up to no good." I told him, hearing as Klaus chuckled loudly, his laugh sending a nauseous feeling through me. _

_"Personally, Stefan. I think that you mixed yourself up with Mason. He's trust worthy and you..clearly aren't. I mean, you're in here and he's not. I don't really think you have a say in anything at the moment. So, with that. Good bye, Mr. Salvatore. I hope that your 7 year sentence teaches you a few things about life." _

I slowly push myself up, remembering the first and last time that Klaus had came to see me after I had been locked up by his own brother in Arizona, like he was making sure that the headlines were all true.

I nearly trip over myself as I get up, my already weakened heart pounding against my chest at the memory when I shake my head and then I hear a voice, footsteps rushing towards me as tall, dark haired man helps me to my feet, asking me if I'm alright. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. I just-" I begin to say, my whole body going numb when I lock my eyes on his and utter out his name, seeing the fear in his green eyes when he lets go of me and tries to walk away, his movements quickening as he gets a head start, turning away from me and covering his face.

But, his name rolling off my tongue stops him dead in his tracks as I shout "Must be hard trying to run away from your past. Trust me, I know. Because, you're the one who forced me to run and yet again, I ended up in jail. I was innocent and I never got the chance to clear my name. But you know, this is good...Seeing you here is like a dream. What comes around goes around, that's what they say..right?" I ask him, watching as he pivots on his heels and laughs loudly, taking the hoodie off his head, exposing his dark brown hair, his green eyes are giving him away as he looks around and opens his mouth to speak. But, my chilling words cut him off. "So, how does it feel to always be looking over your shoulder, guilty conscious kicking in yet? By the way, you look really good for a dead man, Mason."

* * *

** A/N:I'm sure you guys are all like...WAIT, Mason and Stefan know each other!? THAT will be explained in a flashback in the next chapter. I promise! Also, why Damon was so rude to Elena at the airport. ;)**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates:Be_Passionate24**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey all! So sorry that it's been forever that I've updated this story! I really hope that you guys are still even interested in reading it. But, anyways I've been focusing on one of my other stories a lot and I'm trying to get it done. However, I promise that once it's finished that I will return to focusing on this story and my other one a lot more. **

**So, without further delay. Here's CH.8! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT-Loving You Is Endless**

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

Mason shakes his head at me, looking behind him and then back at me as he scoffs. "I don't know what you're talking about." He tries to say in a denying tone, the fact that he's lying to me is clearly written in his eyes when he looks past me and turns again to leave.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Mason! The last time that I saw you, you stood up in court against me and said that the person who was stealing from Klaus Mikaelson was me. But, really...I know that it wasn't me because I wasn't even in the office when the money went missing. It was you! You're the one who would wait until everyone left for the day and then you would use your ID access card to get into Klaus's office, somehow you found his log in to get access to the stash of money he had." I tell him, staring him down as he shakes his head and laughs, looking down at his feet when he says "You think you have it all figured out, don't you?" He asks me, watching as I take a step in front of him and lock my eyes onto his face.

"I did my time. Actually, I did your time for you, too. But, no one is really thanking me for that. So, I had a lot of time to think about this..7 years is a long time to think about the reason you're rotting away in a jail cell and who was it that framed you. I just wish that you would have had the decency to stand up for me in that courtroom. However, we both know that you never had the balls to man up to anything!" I exclaim, taking a step back from him and hearing as Mason exhales deeply.

"Whatever you say, Salvatore. I think it's time that you remember what really happened the moment that Klaus found out that someone was stealing from his company." Mason tells me, pivoting on his heels and walking away from me without another word, leaving me to remember the exact time when Klaus had summoned both Mason Lockwood and I into his office after he had found out that someone was stealing money from the secured vault inside of the building.

_"Well, well. The intern that's been loyal and a rising star and the employee who works late nights and does almost everything he's asked to do." Klaus said, eyeing both Mason and I up and down as he smirked at us. _

_"So, boss. What's going on?" I asked him, hearing when Klaus slammed his fist against the desk he was sitting at, anger in his eyes when he leaned forward and shouted "Which one of you scumbags is stealing from my company? I swear, that once I find out there will be consequences to pay!" He shouted, watching when I took a step back and locked my eyes on him, my voice calm and steady when I spoke. _

_"It's not me. Come on, Klaus. I would never do that you or this company. I'm thankful for having the opportunity to work here. I'd never betray you like that." I told him in a reassuring tone, stepping near the door and leaning against the wall as I watched Mason tell him about the same thing. Yet, something had seemed a bit off, as he spoke..his hands were shaking and he couldn't give his full attention to Klaus who was fuming from the betrayal._

_"Fine, you both may claim that you're innocent now. But, once I find out who's been stealing from me. Both of your asses will be up on the chopping block! Do I make myself clear?" Klaus snarled at us, glancing over to see us both nod at him and then, we listened as we were both told to leave his office. _

_I had been halfway to my office when I heard it. Mason's sinister tone echoing from behind me as I turned around to face him. "You know, Stefan. You maybe the up and coming star of this firm. But, just know this..it's a hard climb to the top and it's an even harder challenge to stay up there when you're faced with disaster." _

_"What do you mean? Mason, what the hell do you mean!" I exclaimed, pushing him away from me as I watched the smirk on his face widen, and he locked his eyes upon me, leaning into me and whispering against my ear, in a tone that made me shiver. "You won't be the golden boy forever, Salvatore. Remember that even success comes at a price." _

His words echo into my mind as I make my way back into the restaurant, my palms and face are covered in sweat when I finally sit down across from Damon, who gives me a worried look.

"What's going on Stefan? Are you okay?" Damon asks, his tone full of worry and his eyes searching mine to find out exactly what happened.

"He framed me. Mason Lockwood wanted what I had and he-" I start to say, suddenly feeling the pressure in my chest that I had been ignoring, rise and the shortness of breath increasing from earlier, like someone is sitting on me and not allowing me to get a full intake of air to breathe.

"He...I...I can't breathe. Damon, I can't..." My voice trails off when I start to feel my arm begin to go numb and then out of nowhere, everything goes black and the last thing that I can hear is my brother's voice booming throughout the restaurant in a panicked tone, calling out for help.

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V. **

"Someone call 911! Please, help me!" I shout out, looking around the room at all the shocked and horrified looking faces that seem to be glued to Stefan and I as I jump up from my seat and help lay my younger brother onto the red carpeted ground beneath us.

"Someone please! Help me!" I scream out, searching the crowd when I notice a young woman with long brown hair speaking on her cell phone in a hurried tone, walking over to Stefan and I as she says "I just called someone. They're on their way. Hold on, okay." She says, taking a step back from us and going outside to wait for the ambulance.

My own heart is racing when I see the EMT's finally come through the door after a long and agonizing wait and they push me out of the way, asking me all sorts of questions at once and all I can hear in my own strangled tone is the words "He's my brother. Please, help save him. I think he's having a heart attack!"

* * *

I don't know how long it takes for me to follow the ambulance to the hospital. But, it feels like it's hours and not just minutes. My hands are shaking and I feel like I'm going to faint as I watch them rush Stefan into the E.R. and one of the nurses continues CPR all the way down the hall, shouting to the other nurses that they need to go faster as they disappear down the hallway, wheeling Stefan away in a gurney.

I shake my head, feeling the tears rush into my eyes when I stop my pacing up and down the hall and instead, sit down in the waiting room. Praying that he'll make it out alive and hoping that he'll be okay. My head keeps thinking about the way that I had pushed Elena away from Stefan at the airport earlier and I instantly regret being such an asshole to her. It's not her fault for what's going on with Stefan and yet, I still want someone to blame for the possibility of my brother having a weakened heart that could easily kill him. I don't want him to die, I can't watch my younger brother die because of a heart condition. But, I also know that I can't just sit here alone and think about all the things that I've done to not be a good brother to Stefan.

I slowly lean my head against the wall in the waiting room and watch a few doctors rush past me as I close my eyes and then open them even quicker, not being able to feel comfortable or okay until someone comes out here and tells me what the hell is going on with my brother.

My breathing is staggered as I sit up in my seat and take my cell phone out of my pocket, dialing her number and feeling instantly guilty for pushing her away. But, I'm silently hoping that maybe she can help me get my mind off of Stefan having a heart attack and the knowing fact that he could be dead before the morning comes as I hear the ringing stop and her voice mail picks up my call. I clear my throat and try to calm my trembling voice when I say "Hey, Elena. It's Damon. I'm at Providence Memorial hospital. Elena, it's about Stefan. He's had a heart attack and I need you to come here as soon as you can. I know that you don't want to talk to me. But, this is about my brother and not me. He needs you here, he needs you by his side right now."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that it's kind of short. But, the next update will explain a lot more of what happened between Damon and Elena. Let's just hope that Elena gets his message and comes to the hospital for Stefan!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at:Be_Passionate24 **

**Thanks so much for reading & Until Next Time!**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey all! After the longest and worst writer's block ever. I'm finally back! :) So, without further delay. Here's CH.9! Please note that this update does have a bit of a flashback in it towards the end. **

**Thanks so much for reading & Enjoy!**

**Also, please let me know what you all think. :)**

**Thanks! **

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE- Loving You Is Endless**

**Elena's P.O.V. **

" I can't do this anymore, Tyler! We're done." I shout at him, slamming the door behind me as I hear him yell out. "It's because he's back! Isn't it. You love him, Elena! You still fucking love him! It's because of your ex-fiancé. Admit it to me!" Tyler shouts against the door, his fist slamming against the wood as I lean against it too. Tears streaming down my face when I open the door and lock my eyes on him, our intense gaze never ending as he takes a step towards me and says "That's why you've been asking me all these questions about, Mason. I don't know anything and if I did. Why would I help a man who was clearly guilty. Stefan Salvatore is thief. He deserved what he got. 7 years in the state penitentiary seemed too little of a sentence. He should of gotten life in prison. Yet, You..stuck by his innocence. Poor little Elena Gilbert, heartbroken over the man she loved. Have you ever asked him if he thought of you while he was in his cell and the future with you that he destroyed. You can't love him forever, Elena. He'll only hurt you more." Tyler hisses out, anger in his tone as he turns to step away from me and I pull his arm, pulling him towards me and leaning into him as I whisper against his ear.

"Go to hell, Tyler. You're just jealous because, you know that I could never love you like I love Stefan. You and Mason, both can go to hell. You don't know anything about my relationship with Stefan. You have no idea what it's like and I don't need your help. I'll find out things about your Uncle on my own. Mark my words, once the truth comes out..He's screwed! But, you are right about one thing...I do still love him and-" My voice stops as I feel the buzzing of my phone inside of my purse.

"And that's why I can't do this anymore, Tyler. Go hook up with Rebekah Mikaelson or something. Just get the hell out of my face." I tell him in an angered tone, letting go of his arm and stepping back into my apartment, slamming the door once more and leaning my head back against it when I hear my cell phone go off again, this time it's excessive buzzing is nonstop and when I finally pull the phone out of the bottom of my purse, my heart stops at the message in front of my eyes.

_Elena. It's Damon. Call me when you hear the voicemail I left you._

That's all the text message says as my shaking hands push against the key pad on my phone and I finally listen to the frantic voicemail that Damon's left me, instantly making my heart drop into my stomach.

_"Hey, Elena. It's Damon. I'm at Providence Memorial hospital. Elena, it's about Stefan. He's had a heart attack and I need you to come here as soon as you can. I know that you don't want to talk to me. But, this is about my brother and not me. He needs you here, he needs you by his side right now."_

Heart attack? Stefan's too young to have a heart attack! Let allow this heart condition that he's been dealing with! My mind is trying to catch up with his words as my hands begin to shake even more and before I know it. I can feel the warmth of tears trickling down my face.

"He's got to be okay. He's going to be okay." I tell myself slowly as I inhale a sharp breath and try to collect my thoughts before storming out of my apartment once again, not bothering to even leave a note behind for Caroline. Since, I know that she's probably half way to the airport right now for what was supposed to be our flight to Berlin that had gotten rescheduled by Katherine for tonight! Taking my place in the fashion show and trying to explain to Katherine why I should still be able to keep my job after all of this blows over.

* * *

**Caroline's P.O.V. **

She stares me down almost, looking as if she's about to bite my head off when I casually explain to her that Elena's had another emergency.

"What is it this time, Caroline?" Katherine asks in her highly obnoxious and overly bitchy tone.

"It's um...Her parents! Her dad had a health scare and she had to fly back home for a few days. Look, Katherine. Elena loves this job and she really, really needs this modeling career. So-" I start to say as I hear Katherine scoff and she looks down at her expensive hot pink and diamond studded Ralph Lauren heels.

"Come on, Caroline. You and I both know that my agency needs reliable models and Elena Gilbert is anything but that. So, if she isn't in Berlin by the end of this week. She can kiss her modeling contract with my company goodbye. Oh, and if you cover up for her again. So can you! I suggest that you inform your little unreliable friend that her job is on the line. Maybe then she'll cut the bullshit of excuses. Since, everyone knows that I only take the best of the best and you, for now. Are one of them." Katherine tells me with an agitated tone, getting up from her seat that's near the terminal gates when we both overhear "Air Europe. Now boarding for Berlin, Germany."

"You know what?" I state out of the blue, watching as Katherine flips her long brown curly hair out of her eyes and looks up at me, shifting her weight from one foot to the next as she smirks, waiting for what sounds like is about to be my declaration of how much I love this job. About how much this running around for this crazy ass woman has changed my life. But as I open my mouth and the words rush out. Her and I are both surprised when I suddenly stammer out. "I quit! You can boss around Rebekah and all your other little anorexic models. But, not me. I can find something better to do! Hell, I can go into retail or selling cars! I don't give a damn. Just as long as I don't have to deal with you anymore. Have fun in Berlin, Katherine. Auf Wiedersehen! By the way, that means goodbye in German!" I exclaim, turning around to wink at her as I pivot on my heels and pick up my bags, not even caring to look back as I hear her shout out.

"You can't just quit, Caroline Forbes! No other agency is going to want you! I could have made you a star!" She says in a harsh tone. As I hear her gasp when I turn around and smirk, my eyes are locked onto her face with a enough distance between us to where I can still see the stunned look in her facial expression as I say in a flat tone. "Oh please. Elena, Bonnie and I. We're all just money in your pocket. All you care about is money and yourself! So, until that changes, you'll be alone forever with your precious agency and all of your anorexic models with big egos just like you."

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V. **

She's shaking when she walks up to me. Elena's face is covered with moisture as she wraps her arms around me and exhales against my neck. "Please, tell me he's okay. Please, Damon. He's got to be okay. I love him. I'm so sorry for not being there.." Her voice trails off as she lets got of me and steps away, wiping away her tears with what I notice is one of Stefan's old sweat shirts.

"I don't know anything yet, Elena. They took him in for surgery, an hour ago. The doctor did come out a little while ago and said that he does have a lot of damage to his heart and he's really lucky that he got the hospital in time." I tell her, listening as she sniffles and shakes her head, covering her mouth with her hands to prevent herself from breaking down even further.

"This isn't fair! He's only 26 years old. Damon, he can't die. Stefan, can't die! He can't..He-" She starts to sob as I stand closer to her, suddenly pulling her into my arms as I kiss the top of her head and tighten my grip around her, exhaling when I say "He won't, Elena. He needs to wake up so that you two can fix your relationship. My brother loves you so much and now, I see why. I didn't before..When he was in jail and I'm sorry. But, now I see it. You've never given up on him." I say, feeling as she lets go of me loosely and looks into my eyes. The same saddened expression on her face that I had seen years before when I came over to their apartment and Elena was packing her things, moving out and moving on from Stefan.

_"You can't just leave! He needs you now and I swear to god that if you go. Elena, I will tell my brother that you're not worth his time once he gets out of jail!" I shouted at her, watching as she placed her hands against the table, a box half full of dishes in front of her with newspapers scattered all over the floor. _

_"Stefan made it perfectly clear where he and I stand when he I went to see him the other day. He told me to move, Damon. What other choice do I have if the man I love just got sentenced to 7 years in prison for something everyone says that he did do and yet, here I am..Still believing he didn't do it! I'm the only damn person in this whole fucking town who believes that the man that I love..didn't commit a crime. Yet, he's still pushing me away! He doesn't want me, Damon. He doesn't want me to see him locked up. So, I'm moving out of the apartment and I'm going someplace far away from Arizona..Far away from.." Her voice trailed off, glazed over tears in her eyes as she locked them on me and I finished her thoughts for her. _

_"Away from him. Away from my brother. You're hurt and I get it. You hate him for ruining a life that you both could have had, a life that you both wanted. But, it's not Stefan's fault. Believe me when I say that the truth will come out and when it does, you'll regret your mistake. Just, please if he asks to see you from jail. Go see him. See him before you leave at least before you go to wherever destination you have planned. Give him a proper goodbye. You can't stay mad at him." _

"I should have never left him! This is all my fault..Stefan being this broken, this..this...sick. It's because of me! I didn't try hard enough to help him. Maybe if I would have tried hard enough to help him than this wouldn't be happened. Oh god, we should have gotten him out of that damn prison! He..He can't, Damon. I can't live my life without him. I've tried and the truth is, I'm miserable being without him." She confesses, pushing away from me as I look past her and notice the doctor standing near the waiting room, looking around. My hands gently placed on Elena's arms, trying to calm her down when I lock my eyes on her and softly speak.

"This isn't your fault, Elena. Stefan was sick way before he even went into that prison and he didn't know. He's going to be okay. I promise. You just have to believe that he's going to be okay." I repeat, swallowing my own words hard as she nods and sniffles. I watch as small frame tenses and she turns her back towards me as the same doctor from earlier walks towards us and says "Damon Salvatore? I have news on your brother, Stefan."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all liked it!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey all! Here's CH.10! Please let me know what you all think.**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24 **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER TEN-Loving You Is Endless **

**Elena's P.O.V. **

I can see his lips moving, his eyes darting towards his clipboard when he says "He's not doing well and to be perfectly honest. He has extensive damage to his heart and we'll have to schedule an emergency surgery in the morning to repair the damage. We got a heart for him this evening. However, he's too weak right now for us to open him up and do the hours long surgery. It'll have to wait." The doctor tells us in an informative tone, looking up to see Damon and I standing there, stealing worried glances from the small distance that separates us.

"Can I see him? Please." I ask, watching as the doctor nods, looking over at Damon when he speaks. "Only one person at a time." He clarifies when I glance up at Damon and he smiles a weakened, exhausted looking smile.

"Come get me when you're done." He says, taking a step back away from us and watching as I disappear down the corridor right beside the doctor.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V.**

Pain. It's like I'm dying all over again when I roll over in the hospital bed and cry out in pain. But, just as I'm about to push the morphine drip that seems to be going too slow and just when my trembling hands reach for it, the door to my room opens and Elena pops her head in.

"Oh Thank God! You're alive." She says, slipping into the room and closing the door behind her before she makes her way towards me, eyes full of tears when she pulls up a chair, leaning forward and leaving a quick kiss on my cheek, her thumbs caressing my face as she looks down at me in wonder.

"Any sudden movements can trigger it again. But, I like that." I tell her, watching as she pushes a strand of her hair behind her ears and laughs a little.

"Trigger what?" She asks, confusion on her face as she takes a step back from me and sits down in a chair near the bed.

"Another heart attack. The doctor said that I need to take it really easy for the next few days. Oh and that they might have a heart for me." I tell her, my voice becoming raspy and full of sleepiness as I feel Elena place her hand onto mine, lacing our fingers together when she exhales a breath.

"I know and I'm not leaving your side until you have the surgery or after it. I'm not leaving, Stefan. Not this time." She says with a confidence in her tone, eyes locked on my face when she takes my hand and brings it up to her warm and soft lips, kissing my knuckles gently.

"Elena. What about Berlin? Your job? Tyler?" I ask her, watching when she shakes her head, letting go of my hand and running her hands through her long straight brown hair.

"Well, Berlin was supposed to happen tonight and I had Caroline go instead. My job isn't as important as you and neither is Tyler. Stefan, I broke it off with Tyler because I'm still in love with you. I know, you're high on morphine and none of this will really matter once you start feeling normal again. So, I really have no idea why I'm even saying this at all. But-" She starts to say as I look over at her, clearing my throat and blinking my sleep filled, heavy eyes in her direction.

"You're in love with me? After everything I did to you. After the way that I yelled at you when you came to see me in Arizona, after everything I did to hurt you. You still love me. Wait, are you sure that this isn't a dream. Like, I'm not dreaming this..." I tell her, my voice trailing off as I hear her laugh and watch when she shakes her head.

"No. You're not dreaming, I promise." She states in a firm tone, leaning towards the bed again. This time, hovering over my face when she places her hands onto each side of my cheeks and leans forward, capturing my lips against her own as she leaves a soft and tender kiss against them.

Elena smiles down at me. Her eyes glossed over with tears as she sniffles and says "You can't die on me, Stefan. You're my best friend and no matter what you do to push me away from you. It's never going to work because I'm going to keep coming back. You need me, Stefan and I need you. I love you, okay. I love you so much and I know that I've messed up in the past. But, we both did." She says, swallowing hard as she leans into me once more and leaves another kiss on my cheek. The smell of her floral perfume filling my senses as I close my eyes and inhale deeply, for a brief moment forgetting that I'm stuck in the hospital bed.

"I want you to live. If not for me, than for yourself. Stefan, you have a whole life ahead of you. You're too young to die and I won't sit around watching you give up! I'm not going to let you give up. Do you hear me?" She asks, sitting back down in the chair, legs crossed over one another as I clear my throat and speak in soft, raspy tone.

"Elena..." My voice trails off as I hear her sniffle, wiping away the falling tears on her cheeks.

"I love you. I always have and I will never stop loving you. I know that I hurt you and that we were apart for so long. But, this is our second chance...It has to be. You're going to be okay. You are going to survive this." She says, her voice shaking when she watches me try to lift myself up from the bed, repositioning my body so that I'm turned a little bit more towards her.

"Elena, listen to me. If anything happens to me. If I end up-" I start to tell her, hearing as she scoffs and looks up at me, more tears evident when she shakes her head and argues.

"Nothing will happen to you. Stop talking like that. Okay, we're going to get married one day, like we were always supposed to. We're going to have a whole bunch of kids together and we'll live someplace nice with a huge house and maybe even a pool. I'm going to do local modeling and you'll get your life back..You'll finally be able to stop running from your past. Because, you'll have a future. We'll have a future together." She cries, rubbing her face with her hands when I bend forward a little, placing my hands onto her own, grabbing her attention almost instantly.

"I have to talk about it. Okay. I need you to know that If I don't make it out of here, alive. I want you to know something." I tell her, hearing as she inhales a shaky breath and nods.

"What's that?" She asks with a glistening in her eyes, tightening her hands around mine as I exhale a deep breath before I make my confession. "I want you to know that I love you and I never stopped loving you and if I don't make it out of that surgery. Elena, my heart will always belong to you. You're my girl, Elena Gilbert."

Elena's crying even harder now, her tears escaping into her mouth as she pushes away from the chair and hovers over me, unshed tears in her eyes as she nods when I lift my hand up, gently tracing the outline of her jaw. "Come here." I say simply, looking over to see her tilt her head to the side when I move over a little bit, making enough space in the small hospital bed for the both of us.

"Stefan..I-" Elena begins to protest as I hold onto her hand, my thumb gliding against the top of her skin when I give a weak smile.

"You're not going to hurt me. It's okay, just come here because I want to hold you in my arms and never let you go, I want to be with you..Even if this ends up being my last night on Earth. I want to hold the woman I love in my arms." I tell her, watching as she slips off her shoes and slowly slides underneath the sheets beside me, looking over at me when she says "What if someone comes in and sees us like this?"

I let out a small laugh, gently turning to my side as I pull her near me, kissing the top of her head and lacing my fingers through her hair. Leaning my head back against the pillows behind us as I mumble out. "I don't care. We can just say that we were making sure that I could keep calm and that I needed you by me to do so." I comment, feeling as Elena softly grabs a hold of my hand and places it across her waistline, snuggling up against my warm body and the sheets between us as she yawns and murmurs out. "Don't leave me, Stefan. Stay with me. Please... I wouldn't be able to live without you. I need you to live, because if you die..I won't make it. I'm not strong enough."

* * *

**A/N: Ugh..These two just break my heart to be honest.. :') I love them so much. So, any theories as to if Stefan will actually get the heart he so desperately needs? **

**Hm...-Until Next Time!-**

**Thanks so much for reading. :)**


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey all! So, I figured that since I'll probably be really emotional after the TVD finale tonight. I'm posting a little early. :) A confession is made by Elena and a game changing turn of events happen in this chapter that will pretty much change everything for Stefan and Elena. Don't say that I never warned you! ;) **

**Also, there is a flashback in this update! **

**Hopefully you will all like this chapter and please let me know what you think about it. Thanks so much for reading & enjoy!**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at:Be_Passionate24**

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN- Loving You Is Endless**

**Elena's P.O.V.**

I don't know how I got here or even where I really am when I wake up. Rubbing my eyes with my fists and looking around the room, automatically noticing that Stefan's gone and the only thing remaining where he had once been is an envelope. His perfect cursive handwriting is visible from where I'm sitting and when I get up to get a better look at what it says. My stomach tightens and I feel sick when I see that it's addressed to me.

But, when I get to my feet and stabilize myself, from the space where I'd been sleeping. Another rough voice stops me in my tracks as he yawns and clears his throat to speak. "For god sakes, Elena. You told me that you'd let me know when you were done!" Damon complains, stretching his arms above his head as I look down and realize that my clothing is completely dissolved.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that...So, when did Stefan go into surgery and why didn't anyone wake me up?" I demand, looking over to see Damon give me a saddened look, his eyes just as tired and hurt as mine when he replies to me.

"Stefan told me not to. He said that he wanted you to get some rest. I guess he knows what kind of toll this is all taking on you." Damon explains. Looking up at me as I move a strand of my hair behind my ears.

"Oh, come on. Damon...I know the real reason. He didn't want to see me break down again." I admit, listening as Damon scoffs before he clears his throat to speak.

"See..I don't really think that's it. I think that he was too afraid of you telling him the real reason you moved here to New York before he went into this life or death surgery. It wasn't to just 'get away from, Stefan'. Now, was it?" He presses with his question. Forcing me to secure my gaze upon him, my tired eyes closing, my hands shaking as I remember the last time that I broke down in front of Stefan. Just like I did the night before, but for an entirely different reason, one that Damon and I only know about...

_"I don't want you here! I don't want you or need you to see me like this." He told me, leaning his head back and groaning. The glass separating us and a telephone the only way of our communication. _

_"Stefan, please. I'm here because I want to be. Your innocent and I know that you didn't do what they said you did. Look, I was mad..I was angry at you the other night because you didn't say anything to my parents when we told them about our engagement and my mother made that comment! She said that I shouldn't marry you, Stefan. Why didn't you say anything..Why?" I yelled at him, forcing the armed police guard behind me to tell me to keep my voice down._

_"Maybe she was right. Maybe being with me is a curse and you're better off with someone else. Your parents hate me because of the stupid things I did when I was younger and now this...Elena, stop trying to save me! I maybe innocent. But, there is no way that anyone will prove it. So, I'm accepting my fate." He said in an equally pissed off an agitated tone, leaning back in his chair and turning his head to look over at the guard that was on the other side of him._

_"I won't stop trying to save you and prove that your innocent! But, I won't stick around and watch you sulk and feel sorry for yourself either. I love you and I always will. Yet, you're right though. I need to move on. Seven years is a long time, Stefan to hang on to man that won't fight for himself. All, I want is for you to fight. To come out of this stronger and stop saying that you deserve this, because you don't. Though, until then.. Until, you realize it or until you come out of this hell that you're in. I'm taking your advice and I'm leaving town. I can't wait around forever for a man who doesn't believe in hope and I refuse to believe that you don't." I told him, watching as he cleared his throat to speak. But, no words came out._

_"If you ever decide to fight against this and believe in yourself some more. Look me up, I'll be someplace on the East coast. Just know this one thing..I love you, no matter what and whatever happens in our lives, either separate or apart. That, will never change." I explained, getting up from my seat and turning to leave. Just as I heard Stefan slam his fist against the table top as he shouted "Elena! Wait! I 'm sorry..I'm sorry for ruining us. I love you." _

_I turned on my heels, facing him once again as I wiped away my falling tears and I spoke in a strangled tone. "I know you do. But, sometimes you have to set the one you love free and if they come back to you. Then, you'll know that you were meant to be with them. We'll find our way back to each other. One day. I promise." I reassured him, listening as his cried and pound his fists along with the sounds of chains that were shackled to his hands made loud noises as I left him. Deep down knowing that it was the wrong choice. But, also knowing that it was only because I was protecting myself and my heart from breaking at the sight of him, so broken and hopeless. _

"I was protecting myself, I tried telling him the night before he got arrested by Kol. You know that. You know exactly why I left Arizona and never looked back...Damon, you were the only one who helped me!" My voice trails off as Damon looks up at me, shaking his head.

"I know. I was dragged into your mess because you had no one else to turn to. Stefan never got the chance to find out and your parent's didn't believe you after you told them why you were leaving, after you told them the truth." He says, looking down at his feet as he exhales.

"No, they didn't. My own parents never believed me or wanted to help me out. When, I told them that I was pregnant with Stefan's baby. So, that day after Stefan got arrested, I was going to tell him everything and confess. But, they came early and seeing him later that night in those shackles and behind that glass. I couldn't tell him. He was so mad, he was so damn full of hatred and the worst part of it was that he told me to go...He wanted me gone and so, I listened to him. I had the baby here, before I started my modeling career and then I gave him up for adoption. Because, I didn't know what else to do!" I confess, watching as Damon looks up at me. Tears in his eyes when he takes a step closer and breathes out a shaky breath.

"Does Stefan know that you have a son? Have you told him since he came to see you here?" He asks me, pounding me with questions that I feel have been the biggest weight on my shoulders, dragging me down. I know I should have told him that I was pregnant that night before we came home from my parent's house after another dinner. That was my plan, I was going to tell him about the baby and I knew that we would have figured everything out together. But, then the next day came and everything happened so far and when I got the message from Lexi about Stefan possibly getting 7 years in prison. I decided that I needed to keep it a secret. Because, I couldn't raise a baby alone, knowing that his dad was in jail for a long time.

"You and I are the only ones who know about Nathan. I named him, Nathan. After they ripped him from my arms and took him away from me after 24 hours. It's an open adoption and so, I get to see him only when his parents allow me to. I guess, that's the another reason I've stayed in New York for this long. I don't want to leave my son. Even if he's not with me, physically. I want him to know that his mom did the best she could, under the circumstances. Damon, I know that you were mad at me for not telling Stefan about the baby and that you were the one who wanted me to stay and to tell him, that's why you came to the apartment a few days after you heard I was leaving..You were trying to convince me that I was making a mistake. But, what other choice did I have? Things are better off this way and in time, when Stefan gets better. I'll tell him. I'll tell him everything and-" I start to say, tears running down my face as I watch Damon move closer and then I feel his arms wrap around me tightly, holding me against his chest.

"I know you will. Because, if my brother dies from this heart condition and he never knows that he has a son with you. If he never gets to learn the truth. That will be your biggest regret, Elena. Even worse than leaving Arizona and my brother. Stefan doesn't need to hear the real reason why you two have been separated from each other and why you barely came to see him during the time he as in jail. All this time, he thought it was because he pushed away and he blamed himself for it. But-" Damon begins to explain, as we both step back from each other and look up to see one of Stefan's doctor's come inside the room, pulling off his mask when he says "Stefan's surgery went well. Now, all we have to do is wait and see how his body will react to the heart transplant. That will be the real test."

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V. **

It takes us a few hours of waiting around his room and in waiting area until they wheel my brother back from the recovery area to the room he was in before he had undergone the surgery. Yet, since two of the nurses are inside of his room and taking vitals and running a test. They politely told us that no one could go into see him yet. I'm anxious and pacing the waiting area outside of Stefan's room as Elena talks on the phone with Caroline.

Overhearing that Caroline Forbes, one of her best friends and modeling partners has finally quit the business. I listen in carefully as they talk about how bitchy one of their bosses was and how appreciative Elena is for Caroline telling her that she quit. She also tells the girl that Stefan's doing just fine and to not worry about having to come and get her from the hospital. That, she'll have me take her back to the apartment before I come back here and spend the night, staying vigilant near Stefan's room.

But, something seems off when I look up at Elena and she hangs up the cell phone, slumping down in her seat as she locks her gaze upon me and says "I want to quit my job too. I want to tell Stefan about Nathan and I want to do it as soon as he gets better. Damon, you're right. He needs to know. Before anything happens to him. He needs to know about our son and we need to figure out where he and I stand..I love him, Damon and I never meant to hurt him. You have to believe me." She states in a firm tone, running her hands through her hair when she leans her head against the wall and exhales deeply.

"He's going to be okay, Elena. You'll see. Stefan is going to be just fine..." My voice trails off, the strangled tone apparent as I sit down next to her in the middle of the busy hallway full of nurses and doctors passing by, all of them seeming in a hurry to be someplace. I swallow the lump in my throat as I sit next to her, watching as she leans her head against my shoulder and we sit in silence. Although, our silence gets shaken and my words seem to be cursed as we hear a loud noise coming from outside of Stefan's hospital room. My heart sinks inside of my chest as Elena and I see one of the nurses emerging from Stefan's room. Her eyes are darting every which way across the hall as she stands near the door and shouts "I need some help in here, I need a doctor! He's coding..He's crashing! Get me a crash cart in here, now. We're losing him!"

It's like a knife is shoved into my stomach as I look over to see Elena covering her mouth with her hands, trying to get up and run towards Stefan's room. But, my arms stop her when we both land onto the ground of the hallway. Me holding my sobbing and shaking brother's girlfriend in my arms as she cries against me. Her frantic and panicked pleas echoing throughout the busy halls of the corridor in the hospital as she fights against my chest and my iron grip around her body when Elena yells in a bone chilling and blood curdling tone. "His heart. He's having another heart attack! They're losing him, Damon...Please! Please..Please..Please...I need to see him, I need to see Stefan. I need to get in there! Let go of me, Damon. Please, let me go see him..He needs me!"

* * *

**A/N: Stefan's life maybe hanging in the balance now..But, nothing is ever as it seems.** **;) **

**-Until Next Time!- **


	13. Chapter 12

A/N:** Hey all! Here's CH.12! Hope you all like it. :)**

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading & Enjoy! **

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE- Loving You Is Endless **

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

I wake up in a daze. Everything around me seems like it's brighter, a lot more vivid and when I turn around,kicking up the sand against my feet, I see her smiling face.

"It's about time." She states, bending down at the waistline and sitting down into the sand, her arms over her knees as she sits with them up and stares out towards the ocean.

"Where am I? What are you doing here?" I ask her, watching as she smirks, patting the sand underneath us when she says "I'm here because you're thinking about me, Stefan. You're always thinking about me or _her_. Even when you don't want to be. I was your best friend, once."

"Well, you caught me. I've missed you, Lexi. But, what is this place? Am I.." My voice trailing off, glancing up to see her long blonde hair flow with the breeze as she closes her eyes and leans her head back.

"You're not dead, Stefan. You're in a coma and this is the last place where you and _her_ were truly happy together. Don't you remember, the beach in Hawaii?" She asks me. I nod at her, taking in the warmth of the sun hitting my face when I look over to see her smiling once more, slowly getting up from her spot in the sand and extending out her hand towards me.

" Yeah, of course I do. Why are you here with me, Lexi? You're not dead..Usually, only-" I begin to say, hearing as she lets out a laugh and exhales deeply.

"No, I'm not dead. But, like I said. You keep thinking about me and I'm here. I can't explain it either. But, all I know is that as much as you want to stay here with me. You need to get back to your old life, Stefan. Because, that girl that's crying against your arm right now over your hospital bed. She loves you and I know for a fact that you love her. I've seen it. So, you need to fight against whatever it is that's holding you here and get back to her. Elena, can't live without you, Stefan. She has tried time and time again to be without you over the years and every single time, she falls into the arms of a guy that she can't stand because the one man she really wants couldn't be there for her." Lexi explains, a saddened look upon her face.

"I know I screwed up. But, it's not like it was my fault. None of this, was my fault." I try and argue with her, listening when she laughs and shakes her head.

"I know that it wasn't. Although, you still need to get better and clear your name. You'll need help from Damon, Elena and maybe me even. But, the bottom line is that once you set it straight that Mason Lockwood was the one who framed you. Then, you'll be free to live your life with Elena, like you were always supposed to before you got locked up and lost 7 years together." Lexi reminds me, sending a shiver down my spine when I lock my eyes on her.

"How am I supposed to do that, Lexi! Tyler won't tell us anything and when I ran into Mason..Well..I ended up having a heart attack and now, I'm here with you..Stuck in purgatory or whatever the hell this even is!" I shout at her, watching as she takes a step back and grins.

"Will you stop whining and get your shit together! That woman whose spent the last few hours, begging for you to wake the hell up, is in love with you still! You should be thankful for having her in your life...Instead your here with me, bitching about Mason Lockwood. Listen to me, Stefan. A criminal can run, but he sure as hell can't hide and now that people are probably figuring out that Mason's in town and that he clearly has a thing for stealing money. It won't be long before his past gets to catch up with him. So..." Lexi's voice trails off as I watch her place a strand of long blonde hair behind her ears.

"So..What now?" I ask her, curiosity hitting my tone when I speak and Lexi smiles a gleeful expression. "Well, for starters. You can wake up now, Stefan!"

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V. **

I'm crying and shaking when I lean over him, kissing his cool cheeks. He looks so still, his eyes tightly shut and his face looks as if he's just sleeping. But, from what the doctors have told Damon and I. It's going to be a while to know anything or at least until Elijah can make it in.

"He hasn't changed at all since last night when it happened. What amazes me the most is that the new heart, from all the tests we ran this morning on him. It seems like it's taken to his body. I guess, what I'm trying to say is that his body has accepted it." Elijah explains, leaning against the door and holding Stefan's chart against his chest.

"Go home and get some sleep, Elena. This is going to take a while, his body is in a coma because he had a bad reaction to the heart at first. But, now he seems okay." He tells me, watching as I wipe away my falling tears off of Stefan's blissful looking face. I sniffle and pull my hair back as my tired mind tries to process Elijah's words.

"What? You're trying to say that Stefan's new heart is working just fine. Well, then why is he not waking up, Elijah! You're the damn doctor. You're supposed to be the best one here! Tell me why he's not waking up!" I shout at him, not even caring that my voice is raising with each word and that my exhausted body is shaking as I watch Elijah run his hands through his hair and he exhales deeply.

"I don't know, Elena. Sometimes these things happen and we can't explain them. But, you just need to believe that he will wake up. It's not permanent." He tells me, sighing when he hears me scoff at his words.

"It's not permanent. Let's me tell you what's not permanent, a paper cut isn't permanent, Elijah. A small scrap or a bruise on your body isn't permanent! Stefan being in a coma, can be permanent! This can be-" I begin to ramble, my back being turned towards Stefan's hospital bed as I jump a little when I feel a pair of hands against my back, his voice making a small presence in the room and breaking the tense discussion between Elijah and I.

"I wasn't waking up because I was hoping to be dreaming about you and not my best friend, Lexi." He says, his voice filled with sleep and rasp when he coughs out the last part.

I feel my own eyes grow wide when I turn my back towards Elijah whose still standing in the doorway, not saying a word to me when I lean down and touch Stefan's face with my shaking hands.

" Stefan! I thought that you were..I..." My voice comes out shaky and uneven breathes escape out of my mouth when I lean down and kiss his lips softly, feeling as his thumbs caress each side of my face, wiping away my damp cheeks from the tears.

"I'm not. Okay? I'm right here, Elena. Besides, we have a lot of work to do." He states with a small laugh, letting out a loud cough when he points to the water jug near his bedside that I hand to him and watch as he takes a sip from it before speaking again.

"We still need to work on that pool and house you want. Maybe, even those kids." He states with a crooked smile as I shake my head and lean down once more to kiss his face. But, I'm quickly stopped with the sound of someone clearing their throat and when I look up to see who it is, my heart falls inside of my stomach a bit.

"Damon." I state, watching as he nods at me and gives me a knowing look.

"I'll be right back and then you and Damon can talk." I explain to Stefan, watching as he gives me a small smile and I exit the room, closing the door behind me when I lean against the outside door of Stefan's room, noticing that Elijah's half way down the opposite side of the hall by now.

"You need to tell him!" Damon demands, eyeing me up and down and taking in my exhausted looking face. I haven't slept in the last few hours and the last thing on my mind was telling Stefan about our son..now!

"Not now. I can't tell him about Nathan, at this moment. He just had heart surgery for god sakes, Damon. This isn't the time!" I try to argue. But, just when I watch Damon open his mouth to speak. The only thing that comes out is more of Damon highlighting my mistakes."This has nothing to do with Nathan at the moment. It has everything to do with that fact that your hiding a secret from my brother who we all thought was dead last night!"

"This has everything to do with him...Nathan is my son." I confess, exhaling deeply when I look over at Damon who looks like he's pale and as I turn around, I quickly notice why. The door to Stefan's bedroom is open and he's appeared behind me on wobbly legs, steadying himself against the door frame of his room.

"What are you talking about, Elena? Who's son is he?" Stefan asks me, hearing as I inhale through gritted teeth, tears streaming down my face when I shake my head and turn to face him.

"You weren't supposed to find out this way. I wasn't supposed to tell you until long after you had woken up...Please, Stefan. Don't do this to me...Please, don't make me say this to you now, it's not the right time." I cry out, watching as he inhales through gritted teeth, clutching the door frame with his hands as his anger starts to show inside of his once blissful green eyes.

"I asked you a simple question and I want a simple answer. You said that you have a son. Well, if you have him. Where is he and who's his father? Why have I never met him before?" Stefan demands, exhaling deeply and coughing.

"You should be sitting down or in bed. You just had a major operation that you just woke up from. You don't need this stress." I try to reason with him, hearing as he scoffs and shakes his head in refusal.

"I'm not sitting down until you tell me what the hell is going on here and the only two people that seem to know about this is you and Damon! Now, who is Nathan?" Stefan demands, finding his balance when he locks his agitated expression on my scared and tear stained face as I finally blurt out. "He's mine and yours! Nathan is our son, who I gave up for adoption 7 years ago when you were in prison!"

* * *

**A/N: So, Elena finally confesses her secret to Stefan...Hm...It may have not been the way she wanted it to be. But, it's finally out in the open!** **I guess we'll have to wait and see what that means for their relationship now.. :) **

**PLEASE **** feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you all thought about this update. Loved it? Hated it? **

**-Until Next time!- ;) **


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey All! Thanks so much for your lovely reviews and all the awesome feedback. Here's CH.13. it has two different flashbacks that are both in italics. **

**Hope you all enjoy it!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at:Be_Passionate24 **

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN- Loving You Is Endless **

**Elena's P.O.V. **

_Dearest Nathan,_

_The hardest thing that you can ever do as a parent is to give up your own child...I want you to know that this was never how I planned my life out to be or yours for that matter. I planned on marrying your father and having a lifetime of memories with him, laughter and love. I planned on living in a huge house with a large yard and maybe even a small pool so that we could all swim during the summer months and you could have pool parties with your friends. _

_I had planned on loving you and being your mother until I was old and grey, watching your children run around the yard as I held your fathers hand and we talked about vacation plans for where we would retire to. I planned it all and yet, life had another plan for us and because of it, here we are...I'm giving you up and it's the hardest and most painful thing I have ever had to do. _

_My heart is breaking today and as I watch you sleep in the warmer that's near my bed in the hospital. I picture what your life's going to be like with Denise and Nick, the people I have decided will be able to give you everything that I or your father were never able to give you. She's a school teacher and they have a daughter already. So, you won't be alone. When I made this tough choice, I wanted one thing and that was for you to have a few siblings. _

_Nathan, please know that I love you with all my heart and my choice, this choice of giving you to someone who will give you a life that will be amazing and wonderful and filled with more love than you can ever imagine is all because I love you. I also want you to know that your dad isn't who everyone says he is and that whatever you may hear about him when you grow up. You need to know that he's an amazing man. Although, I was the one who ruined our relationship and-... _

_My hands were trembling when I heard the door creak open and as I looked up to see the adoption counselor poke her head in. I instantly stopped my writing of the letter that I had planned on giving to Denise and Nick for safe keeping until Nathan was old enough to understand it all. _

_"Elena Gilbert?" She asked, slowly pushing the door open and making her way towards my bed, watching as I placed the sheets of paper on the end table near me and leaned my back against the pillows that were propped up behind me. _

_"Hi Allison. Look, I know that I need to give him up in a few hours. I know. But, is there anyway to-." I began to say, watching as the red headed older woman placed her hands to her sides and glanced over at me with saddened looking green eyes. _

_"Miss Gilbert. I'm really sorry. But, you should have made a decision in 24 hours. This is the rule made by the agency and starting now you only have about an hour left. You need to decide if you want to keep him or give him up for adoption. Elena, I know that this is a very difficult time for you and it must be even harder knowing that the father of your baby isn't-" She started to say as I quickly came to his defense, correcting her automatically. _

_"It's not that he didn't want to be here. He just can't. I never told him I was pregnant. But, part of me thinks that he knew..." My voice trailed off, closing my eyes and leaning my head back as I heard Allison take a sharp intake of breath. _

_"I understand. But, you've already had your 24 hours with Nathan before you have to decide. Now, I'll leave you two alone so that you can say your goodbyes. Oh and Elena, you need to decide if you do give him up. Please, let me know if you want it to be an open adoption of closed one." She had reminded me, leaving me in the room as she shook her head when I began to cry, not being able to hold it together any longer. The reality of everything seeming to hit me harder than I had even expected it. _

"How could you have not told me about Nathan!" Stefan bellows, turning around briskly to lock his eyes on my tear strained face, taking in my shaking petite frame and the way my shoulders slump back.

"How was I supposed to? Stefan you were being convicted and there I was, 2 months pregnant and facing a possible lifetime without you! You and I both know that I couldn't raise a child alone. It's not like my parents even wanted to help me. They told me to fix my own mistakes!" I remind him, hearing as he scoffs and watching as he slowly makes his way back to sit on his bed.

"You can't blame your parents or me! You're the one who signed the papers, you're the one who choose to give up our son and not even tell me that we had a kid in the first place! Damn it, Elena. He was supposed to be ours. Not whoever you have him too! Look, just go. Please, just leave. I can't deal with this right now and I need to rest." He says in an agitated tone, his back muscles tensing as he adjusts himself in his bed and his face fills with what feels like burning hate for every single time I've hurt him in the last few years.

"I never meant for this to happen to us. I never meant to give him up. Please, Stefan. I want you to know that...I was doing what I thought was best for Nathan, I was giving him the opportunity to live a life with two parents that could love him and be with him forever." I confess, watching as Stefan looks up at me, his face and facial expression stiffening as I make my confession and I try to take a step towards his hospital bed. But, he clears his throat and crosses his arms lightly over his chest.

"Get the hell out of my room. You may have been doing what you thought was best for you. But, you, were being selfish. Because what you failed to realize was that maybe I had my own speculations about you being pregnant. That maybe I had seen those damn pregnancy tests in our bathroom and maybe I actually wanted to be a father! I can't believe that you didn't even tell me that we have a son together. How dare you keep that from me. I'm his father, Elena. And, you had no right to take that choice of being his dad, away from me!" He hisses out, pulling the white covers over his legs and glaring at me.

I stand in the middle of his room, wiping away the tears in my eyes and trying to muffle my cries with my hands when I turn to see the door slowly being opened and Damon makes his way inside, nervously clearing his throat as he places his hand onto my back and speaks. "Elena, why don't you go outside and get some fresh air. There's someone outside that really wants to talk to you. Also, I need to speak with my brother in private."

I nod at him, turning away from Stefan and looking up at him, my mouth half gaped open as he looks at me with such hatred in his eyes. He watches as I stop near the door and place my hand against it before, talking to him directly and trying to give my last plea before he tells his brother how much he hates me, how much he wishes he would have never met me. "I don't want you to hate me for making a mistake. Please, Stefan. I love you. I'm not leaving until we fix this, until I make you understand. Why I had to do what I did."

* * *

The air is cool as I step out on the small patio like area outside of the hospital and I find myself leaning my head against the building, throwing my purse down against the table in front of me when I slide down the wall and cry, cursing myself for making such a stupid choice, for ruining everything that Stefan and I had worked so hard to preserve all those years ago.

Yet, my breakdown is cut short as I hear my name being spoken in a soft tone, her long blonde hair is a flash in front of my eyes and when she stands in front of me, I start to cry even harder as she leans down and wraps her arms around my now shaking body and she says in a sweet tone. "Everything will be okay. Stefan just feels betrayed right now and he's drugged up. He's being an asshole!" She says with a small chuckle, placing her warm hands onto each side of my cheeks when she leans back to take me in.

"You look like hell, Elena. And, here I thought after a long unannounced over night flight, I thought I was the one who would look like crap. Although, it's really good to see you." She states with a small smile as she hears me sniffle and I lock my eyes on hers, taking in how worried she is about the state of my relationship with Stefan.

"I know. He doesn't even want to see me anymore and he just had surgery. What if something goes wrong again? I messed up. I messed up really bad and I don't know how to fix it this time around, Lexi. I don't know what to do anymore. I love him so much and he hates me now. Please, you need to talk with him." I cry out, leaning my head against Lexi's shoulder and feeling when she wraps her arms around me, saying nothing as I wrap my small arms around one of Stefan's best friends and the only person that I feel like can get through to him.

"Well, knowing Stefan for as long as I have. First of all, he could never hate you. Secondly, you just need to give him some time to cool off, Elena. And if that doesn't happen and he's still angry, then I'll have a talk with him." She reassures me, helping me up from my crouching position on the ground as she pulls out a chair for me to sit in and she gives me a small smile. "So, tell me what's going on, exactly. Why did Damon fly me out here on such short notice after he frantically calls me and tells me that Stefan's surgery went well. But, his relationship with the love of his life is suffering. What exactly happened?" Lexi asks, taking a seat from across me and giving me a curious look.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

"Did you know about him?" I ask him, watching as he gives me that smirk of his and lets out a loud exhale, pulling up a chair in the corner of the room and sitting closer to me.

"Stefan, please. Let's not talk about that right now. Let's just focus on you getting better. You need to rest. You just had a major surgery!" Damon exclaims, watching as I shift my weight in the bed and glare over at him. He knows something. But, just like typically Damon fashion, he's deflecting my question with more bullshit about me being all fragile and sick.

"I know that Damon. But, all I want to know is one simple question. Since neither you or Elena seem to be able to answer anything without throwing in how I need to be taken care of and how sick I am. I know that I'm sick, Damon! I'm not a fucking idiot!" I shout at him, watching as he slowly get up from his chair and gives me a straight face, his eyes indicating that he's heartbroken over how everything played out.

"Fine. I'll answer your question and then I'm going to leave the room and let you take some time to rest. You need to sleep, Stefan and you need to get better. So, with that being said. What do you want to know, brother." Damon says, placing his hands into his pockets and leaning back onto the balls of his feet when he looks past me and out the window of my hospital room, seeming awfully fixated on the weather outside.

"Did you know about Elena and the baby? Did you know that she was planning on giving him up for adoption?" I ask him, my voice drifting off as I hear my brother inhale through gritted teeth and he shakes his head, turning his attention back to me as his eyes fill with unshed tears when he nods and in a soft tone that's just above a whisper he says "Yes. I was in the hospital with her the day she gave him up. I knew. I knew everything."

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V. **

_"Look, Lexi tell him them that he needs to wait until I get back. Damn it! Stefan needs to fight the charges against him! They can't just give him 7 years in prison without looking at the hard evidence! Okay..Fine. I'm busy at the moment. But, I'll be home in two days." I told her, standing outside of the hospital and looking up at the clouds that seemed to be filled with darkness and rain, ready to lash out their destruction on us. _

_"But, Damon! He's your brother. You need to be here. It's enough that Elena left him and now you're running off across the nation to get some stupid papers done for your work? This is ridiculous!" Lexi complained, huffing out a loud breath when I clutched my cell phone against my ear. _

_"Yeah. Well, work duties call. I'll be home in two days, I promise and please tell my brother that we'll fix this. We're going to try and get his conviction over turned." I informed her, hearing as Lexi sighed and told me a quick goodbye. _

_I hung up the cell phone quickly and when I looked up, I could see them walking towards me, small smiles on their faces. But, when they got closer there was sorrow filling their eyes as well. "Mr. Salvatore, I'm so sorry that this was on such short notice." She had said, extending out her hand towards me, a sad look on her face as I watched her husband walk up behind her. _

_"Yeah, I'm sorry about it too. Um, I know how hard this is for her and I'm glad that you both are able to understand that." I told them, watching with hopeful eyes as Nick wrapped his arm around his wife and kissed the top of her head. _

_"We know. Because, I had gone through it as well. When I was 16 years old. I gave up my daughter. She needs some time. " Denise told me, tears in her eyes as she took a step back and watched when I walked with them towards the entrance of the hospital._

_"I'm sorry that we had to meet like this. But, if there's one thing I know is that Elena is a strong girl and she'll be okay, over time." I told them both in a truthful tone, watching as Nathan's 'new parents' nodded their heads and stood near the elevator, watching it close behind me as I made my way up to Elena's room to try and talk with her._

* * *

_"You're not supposed to be in here." She stated, slowly getting up from her spot in the rocking chair that one of the nurses had placed in the room for Elena to hold Nathan._

_"I know. But, I just saw and met with the adoptive parents. Elena, you need to make this decision by yourself and I know that you'll make the right one. But, you also need to keep in mind that once you make a choice. You can't go back and reserve it. If you decide to give Nathan up to these people. He'll be okay. Your son will be loved and taken care of with whatever choice you make. Just know that whatever you do, neither will be the wrong option." I had advised her, watching when she tearfully rocked Nathan in her arms and sniffled as she placed him back inside of the warmer, leaning down to kiss his forehead._

_"I signed them already. The papers. I can't do this alone, Damon. It's going to be hard and I'm going to feel like a huge part of my heart is missing from me. With Stefan being gone and now this. But, Nathan will be loved, he'll have a family. A wonderful mom and an amazing dad and maybe one day..Maybe, when Stefan and I fix our relationship and I tell him everything, we'll get the chance to meet our son. Because, he needs to know that his real mom and dad loved him enough to make this sacrifice." She stated, tears in her eyes as she leaned back towards where Nathan was sleeping and picked him up again, rocking him in her slightly shaking arms._

_"I'm going to give you a few minutes to say goodbye." I said, hearing as Elena cried against his small body in her arms, sitting down on the bed. My heart broke when I saw her leaving small kisses against his warm and sleeping face as she swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke with a broken tone. "It's never going to be goodbye. I'll see him again, just not for a while." She said, her body tensing when I slowly approached her and placed my hand onto her knees, grabbing her attention._

_"Are you ready for this?" I asked, hearing as she exhaled and shook her head. _

_"No. I'm not. I never will be. But, I've already made my choice and the adoption papers are signed. Denise and Nick are his parents now." Elena said in a soft tone, rocking Nathan in her arms when we both looked up and saw the door swing open again. Revealing the adoption counselor and Nathan's new adoptive parents standing right behind her, anxiously waiting to start their new lives with my brother's and Elena's newborn son. _

* * *

**A/N: Anyone else crying? I know that I did when I wrote this chapter out. :') Anyways, an old familair face returns and Stefan and Elena are mad at each other. But, it won't be like that for long..I promise! Also, more flashbacks to come and more SE goodness. To make up for this chapter and me crushing your little hearts! :)**

_**PLEASE**__feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you all thought about this update!_

**-Thanks so much for reading & Until next time!-**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys! So, here's CH.14! Hope you all enjoy it. :)**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN- Loving You Is Endless **

**Lexi's P.O.V. **

I want him to stop being so damn insensitive and get over himself. Seriously!

I can see Damon from the corner of my peripheral vision, giving me that sort of look that's almost like a warning, my head can picture him even mouthing the words "Don't bother going in there." But, when I get a double take at him sitting on one of the chairs in the hospital's hallway. He's not even looking at me anymore and instead at the magazine in his hands.

"Listen up, buddy!" I hear myself saying a little too loudly, a little too harshly as I gaze up to see Stefan giving me a mixture of a blank stare and a confused look when I push open the door to his room.

"Lexi?" He says my name in a questionable tone, watching as I stroll into his room as if I've been there a million times before, quickly taking a seat across from his bed and crossing my arms over my chest, exhaling deeply before I even utter any words.

"Yeah, it's me. I got a nice little message from your concerned brother. I don't know what's wrong with you lately. But, whatever it is. I just had your ex-fiancé cry on my shoulder about how much she regrets ever telling you about your little love child together!" I exclaim, watching as Stefan tilts his head to the side, looking taken back by my words.

"Well, uh..I just had surgery that pretty much saved my life. Wait a minute, you talked to Elena already and she told you?" He asks, the sound in his tone sounding a little bit more concerned that he'd probably like it to be.

"Yes. I did and you are being an idiot about this whole thing. Look, I know you're pissed off that she never told you about the baby. But, Stefan. Think about it from her perspective. The love of her life was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Which he served every single one! So, when she found out she was pregnant. She must have been so damn scared to tell you. Because, let's face it. We all knew that Klaus was going to backstab you somehow. Oh and as far as Mason goes..If I ever see his pretty little face again. I'm going to punch it!" I tell him, hearing as he lets out a small laugh and shakes his head.

"Okay. I over reacted. But, she shouldn't have lied about Nathan, Lexi. I lost out on being a dad. Losing out on being a parent to your own kids is awful and it makes me think a lot about the 'What if's' in life." He says, lifting himself up a bit more against his bed.

"You did over react. I just think you need to hear her out, Stefan. It doesn't need to be today. It can be in a week or so from now. Just give Elena the chance to explain herself." I plead with him, hearing as he exhales heavily and places his hands on his lap, gazing over at me intently.

"Did she tell you to say all of that?" He asks, letting out another laugh as I start to get up, running my hands through my hair. My back's turned to him as I too inhale through gritted teeth and the next thing that comes out of my mouth, surprises us both. "Well, maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass for a moment and realized that you should be living instead of waiting to die. You'd notice how much this girl has given up for your selfish ass. How much she really does love you. She just wants that back. Elena just wants you, Stefan. That's it. It's that simple. And, no. Elena didn't tell me to say all of that!"

* * *

**Caroline's P.O.V. **

" So, I got fired from the agency and Katherine went to Berlin all alone. Ugh, good riddance! And, now I'm jobless." I comment in an annoyed tone, watching as Elena dabs at her damp cheeks and smiles up at me, tears still streaming down her face.

"Oh honey..Was it something I said?" I ask her. She shakes her head and adjusts her weight so that she's a bit closer to me.

"No..Well..Maybe." Elena says, slumping her shoulders and looking down at the necklace around her neck, a silver looking ring shining in the light.

"I just haven't seen you in weeks with our schedules and all the madness going on. So, how are things with Stefan going. I mean, I know he had his surgery and all that. But, have you got the chance to talk with him about your relationship ?" I ask her. Elena shakes her head, wiping away her falling tears with the long gray sweatshirt she's wearing as she cries even more, wailing sobs coming out of her mouth when she nestles her head against my shoulder and mumbles out in between her sorrowful tone. "He hates me, Caroline! He's never going to forgive me for what I did. It's over..Stefan and I are finally over..." Elena cries, lifting up her head from me for a brief moment as I give her a confused look, a small smile appearing on my face as she speaks and watches me brush a strand of her hair back.

"I kept a huge secret from him and now that he knows it. He stopped talking to me. he told me that he doesn't want to see me anymore." She says in a sad tone, looking down at her trembling hands.

"It can't be that bad. Come on, Elena. All you need to do is talk to him or go see him again. Explain that you didn't mean to keep it from him." I suggest, watching as she looks up at me with her watery eyes, sniffling a bit more when she says "It's not that easy."

"It is that easy. You love him, he loves you and once you apologize for whatever silly mistake you made. Everything will be perfectly fine." I try to reassure her, watching as Elena abruptly gets up from the couch we're sitting on in our apartment and she places her hands to her sides, shaking her head.

"No, Caroline! This isn't just a small mistake. Stefan sees it as betrayal." She says, watching as I give her a confused look and open my mouth to ask about her what she's even talking about. But, just as I do, Elena rambles on about it some more and leaves me speechless.

"This isn't just a forgive and forget thing. It's been eating away at me for years and all I ever wanted was to give Nathan a good life. With a great family, because I knew that I could never do it on my own without him being there." She explains, watching as I squint my eyes at her and ask a small and nearly above a whisper "Who? Elena, who's Nathan and what are you even talking about?" I sit there watching the frustration around one of my closest friends build as she locks her eyes on my face and says without even pausing to think about her response. "Nathan's my son. He's the baby I had with Stefan and I moved here to give birth to him. He lives here in New York with his adoptive family...He's mine and Stefan's son, Caroline."

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

"It's not that simple, Lexi. You and I both know that." I argue with her, watching with caution as she pivots on her heels and turns her head to glare at me, with her piercing eyes.

"Listen to me. You have a second chance with her, Stefan and this..This right here is it! So, if I were you. I'd hurry my pretty little body up and get better so that you can finally have the second chance that you both want. Even if you're sitting here, trying to deny it." Lexi says, placing her hands on her hips as she blows out a breath and locks her eyes on me again.

"I'm not denying anything. I know that she loves me and I love her. But, so much has happened between us. All I really wanted was for someone to clear my name, to let everyone know that it wasn't me who stole money from Klaus in Chicago and it was Mason Lockwood...I just want-" I try to finish saying as she snaps her fingers together and smiles a huge grin.

"That's it!" Lexi says, walking over to me as she bends down and wraps her arms around my neck loosely.

"All I want you to worry about is getting better and in the meantime trying to fix things with Elena. Damon and I have everything else covered." She says, letting go of me and taking a step back, squeezing my hand as she laughs.

"What's so funny? Did you just say that you and Damon have everything covered? Lexi, what the hell are you talking about?" I ask her, listening when she sighs out loud.

"Yes. I said your brother and I. Granted that I hate him. But, I'm sure that we can put our differences aside for your sake. Stefan, don't worry about anything. I'm going to make a few phone calls and everything will be in place." She rambles, not even looking at me anymore as I clear my throat and scratch the top of my head in confusion, opening my mouth to ask her once again what she's even talking about. But, Lexi speaks before I can even form any words or a phrase.

"I know what you're thinking. It's a crazy plan to go on a manhunt with Damon for Mason Lockwood. But, once we find him and help you out too. It won't matter because, he'll be..Well, he better still be alive if I get my hands on him. But, I can't make any promises when it comes to your brother. Let's just say that if Damon finds him first. Mason will be needing a very good plastic surgery friend of Damon's to fix his face!" She says, patting me on the shoulder and turning to leave the room . But, stopping short as she shrugs her shoulders back and I watch when she throws a cell phone onto my hospital bed.

"Oh and while Damon and I are out clearing your name. Why don't you do me a favor and call Elena. Don't yell at her this time, just talk nicely!" Lexi says, opening the door to my room and waving at me as she closes the door behind her. Leaving me sitting in my quiet room, alone with my own thoughts and the cell phone sitting in my lap, taunting me.

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V. **

"So, I heard you scream at my brother. How'd that go?" I ask her, watching as she rolls her eyes at me and stops me from walking beside her by pulling my arm and stopping us both in our tracks in the middle of the hospital's corridor.

"Let's make something very clear. Because, what I'm about to tell you has nothing to do with you or me. Although, it has everything to do with your guilt stricken brother who feels like the girl he loves won't love him until he's a 'free' man from his past mistakes. So, just reply with a simple yes or no answer. " Lexi says in an annoyed tone, watching as I smirk at her and nod.

"I know that you love Stefan. But, would you do whatever it took to clear his name and make him feel better?" She asks, watching as I without hesitation shake my head, yes.

"Of course I would. What do you have in mind, blondie." I ask her, hearing as Lexi sighs and mumbles under her breath how much she hopes she won't be regretting her own plan in the next few days.

"Just the answer I was hoping to hear. Now, you and I have a lot of work to do!" She exclaims, taking a step away from me as I too follow her and grab a hold of her wrist, a confused expression is evident on my face and when I lock my eyes on Lexi, she takes note of it too.

"We're going on a road trip. Well, more so like a 'let's clear your brother's name and catch Mason Lockwood by ourselves.' road trip. But, none the less, we'll be spending a lot of time together!" She states, grinning an almost mischievous smile as I tilt my head. "A road trip with you? To where?" I ask, feeling Lexi's warm breath hit my face when she leans towards me a little, eyes glistening with excitement as she hisses out. "To where this whole mess began, Chicago. So, Damon. You ready to pay our old friend, Klaus Mikaelson a visit?"

* * *

**A/N: Oh, the drama..So what do you all think about Lexi and Damon teaming up? Also, Elena finally confessing to her roomie, Caroline that she had a baby with Stefan. :)**

_**PLEASE**__ let me know what your thoughts are on this chapter and feel free to leave a review! _

_-Until Next Time!-_


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey all! Thank you guys SOO much for all the reviews and love you've shown for this story. It really makes me happy! Anyways, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough! :) **

**Here's CH.15! **

**Enjoy and Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN- Loving You Is Endless **

**Lexi's P.O.V. **

I swear if he gives me that look one more time, I'm going to smack it off his pretty little face!

"What?" I ask him, watching as Damon smirks. Shaking his head at me as he sits in the driver's seat of the car and places his soda into the cup holder between us.

"Nothing. You had your bare feet on my dashboard again." He comments, leaning towards me as he locks his eyes on me and licks his lips, whispering when he says "How about we share a bed tonight?"

"Excuse me?" I hear myself say out loud, nearly spitting out the soda he brought for me all over the car at his words. You've got to be fucking kidding me!

"You and I? There is no way in hell that I would will getting anywhere near you. Do you understand? Hey, if you're looking for a hot one night stand. How about you call up one of those bimbo twins..Remember, the ones who got their boob jobs done by you!" I hiss out, watching as he starts the car and rolls his eyes at me.

"I missed you, Lexi." He says, his dark blue eyes and facial expression suddenly becoming serious as I think about a time when Damon Salvatore actually gave a damn about me. Before he turned his back on me, after he left me out in the cold without anything as of a reminder to what our relationship used to be.

"I loved you once, Remember." He says, reaching out to touch my shoulder as he frowns a bit when I slap his hand away. "Don't touch me, Damon. Please..You know what. This was a bad idea..You and I heading to Chicago to confront Klaus was a very stupid idea!" I exclaim, looking over to see him staring intently at the road in front of us. His voice low and barely above a whisper when he says "You and I were good together and of course, I screwed up. I'm sorry. And, no. This was a great idea."

"You slept with your receptionist, Damon! You slept with another woman in the house we bought to live together in! In the same damn house you asked me to marry you in, just 2 years earlier! Damn it, Damon..I loved you and you screwed me over!" I tell him in an angered tone.

" It was one time! I was pissed off because you told me that you weren't ready to marry me, Lex. I made a mistake! Don't act like you were the only innocent one in our relationship...Come on. I made a mistake, Alexia. I didn't mean to hurt you..." He says as his voice trails off and I watch as he starts to pull over, bringing the car to a complete stop at a dirt patch of the road, nothing but farm land and a few scattered houses surrounding us as I watch Damon get out of the car and place his hands over his head in frustration.

"You want me to drive or something?" I ask him, hearing as he lets out a laugh through gritted teeth and walks over to my side of the car, placing his hand on the door of the mustang convertible and glaring at me as I scoff at him.

"What are you doing, Damon?" I ask him, watching as he opens the car door wider and nearly pulls me into his arms, holding me without a word. I want to protest, I want to push him away from myself. But, as I stay silent. I hear him, sobbing against the curve of my neck as he mumbles "I thought he was going to die! Lexi, I thought he was going to die...I made a mistake with you and my brother almost dying made me realize that I was wrong. You can hate me for as long as you want. I just needed you, please...Please..Lexi...I didn't mean to hurt you the way I did. I need you in my life, Lex." Damon stammers out, tightening his grip around my shoulders as I lean back against the car and hold my sobbing and regretful ex-boyfriend in my arms.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

"Elena, talk to me. Please...Stop ignoring my phone calls." That's it. My voicemail to her. I've left about 10 of them within the last few hours and each one of them is a frantic plea to her, just to talk to me about us.

"You know, wouldn't it be easier if you just told this all to my face." She says, pushing the cracked door to my hospital room open as she emerges from behind it with a weak smile on her face, her cheeks tear strained from crying.

"Elena? What are you-" I start to say as I watch her sit in one of the chairs in the room, crossing her legs over each other as she stares up at me and sniffles a bit when she says "I didn't know where else to go and I...I kind of thought maybe you could use the company. Stefan...I know that-." She starts to say as I cut her off, clearing my throat before I even begin my apology.

"I'm sorry. Okay. I'm sorry about the things, I said to you and the way I was behaving. You just sprung it all up on me so fast that I didn't know how else to deal with it. And now, after a few days of being alone and not seeing you...I guess I just- I've had time to think about it." I explain to her, watching as she twists the necklace around her neck and inhales deeply when she watches me continue to speak to her, continue to explain my irrational thoughts when she told me that her and I have a son together!

"I knew about it. Well, I mean..not really. But, I was suspicious of it. I went searching for my car keys in your purse and I accidently came across the pregnancy test in your purse. Elena, I knew about it..I just...I thought that you were going to tell me! I was waiting and wanting you to tell me. I wanted to hear it from you and not someone else!" I tell her, trying to confront her about it. But, my stomach churns with hurt as I watch Elena start to cry again and she mumbles out. "I was going to tell you! I was just waiting for the right time to say anything. But, then Kol burst into the house and turned our lives upside down. That night that you were booked into the jail. I waited outside of the station in my car. But, I never went in to see you...Did you know that, Stefan? Did you know that I was in my car, holding a positive pregnancy test in a plastic baggie in my shaking hands because I was in way too much shock to even comprehend what was going on. I thought that if I went into the station to see you stressed and locked up like a dog that I was going to break down and make you feel worse by telling you that I were pregnant!"

"Why didn't you come see me, Elena! I waited for you..Why didn't you see me, I needed you and you just...you left..Why!" I shout out, my anger towards her and our situation coming to a boiling point as I watch Elena get up from her chair and walk towards me. Her eyes are blood shot and her nose is runny as she sniffles and then swallows the lump in her throat as she mutters.

"I wanted to go in there. You don't even know how much I wanted to see you. But, then I got a text message from Lexi and everything changed for me because of it..

_Elena: Stefan's court date is going to be in five days…He could get seven years in prison for conning that guy out of all his money! _

Her words had told me everything that I needed to know...about my future. About the future that Stefan and I could of had together raising Nathan...it was impossible because of the things they had charged him with!

"Stefan, please. I'm sorry! I made a mistake by giving him away. I know that we both made a lot of mistakes and I just. I want to make it all right between us. I want you to be okay and I want us to start over. Stefan, I love you and I know that you still love me, under all that anger and hurt. You still love me." She says, her breath hitching as I lift my hand towards her face, closing my own eyes as I touch her wet cheeks, stroking them softly.

"I'm sorry too. Okay? I'm sorry for putting you in that situation. I get it, Elena. A few days of over thinking about everything you could have done differently to change our situation. There wasn't anything you could have done. But, give him up. It's not like your parents would have wanted Nathan and you certainly couldn't have raised him on your own. Look, it's going to take time for us..for me to feel better about this and heal. But-" I start to explain, watching as Elena opens her eyes and locks them on me.

Her brown eyes searching me as she sighs and tries to calm her shaking tone as she suddenly says "I want you to meet them! In a week you'll be okay to get out of here and come back home. I want you to live with me and Caroline while you heal. And, then after that. I want you to meet Nathan's adoptive parents with me."

"You, want me to what?" I ask her, tilting my head to the side as Elena smiles and leans towards me, placing her hands onto my cheeks when she gazing at me and speaks directly to my face as she repeats slowly. "I want us to meet Nathan's adoptive family. I want you to meet our son, Nathan."

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V. **

"Are you okay?" Lexi asks me, trying to stretch out her hand to touch mine as I shiver at her almost there touch.

"Can we not act like we suddenly give a shit about each other's feelings. You made yourself perfectly clear back there at our untimely pit stop." I reply to her, hearing as Lexi scoffs and then suddenly says "I loved you! Okay. We loved each other, Damon and for as long as I live. I'll never forget that we had good times too. I guess I just wanted this little road trip with you to remind me that you're not completely an asshole!"

"A what?" I ask her, turning my head from the darkness in front of me as I look over at Lexi who seems to be even more in shock at the words that have just came out of her mouth.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I guess that this road trip reminded me that you still have a heart under that darkened soul of yours..." She says, her voice trailing off when I glare at her and watch as she places her hands onto her face in embarrassment, rubbing them vigorously.

"Ahh, shit! Omg..That is so not what I meant! I just...I guess...Ah hell. I meant to say that you're not a bad guy, Damon. Even though you banged your receptionist in our house and in our bathroom. You're not a bad guy..maybe a slim ball who I wish had gotten an STD from that skank. But..you know." Lexi elaborates, shrugging her shoulders back and giving me a sweet smile as I exhale and shake my head at her.

"Okay then. Look, it's getting late and we're both really tired. How about we stop here for the night. So that we can get into Chicago in the morning with clear heads before we go see our old friend, Klaus?" I ask her, watching as she nods without even looking at me and her mouth nearly drops at the sight of the hotel in front of us.

"You can afford this place?" She asks me, looking over at me as I park the car and shut off the engine. I smile at her and let out a small laugh as Lexi runs her hands through her hair and sighs.

"Of course I can. Perks of being your own boss and a plastic surgeon." I comment with a prideful tone as she lets out a laugh, opening the car door and sliding her feet out of the passenger side, turning towards me again. "We may be on okay terms now, Damon. But, I'm still not sharing a bed with you." Lexi says in a warning tone as she gets out of the car and I watch her stretch her legs when she smirks. And, before I can comment back, I watch her run towards the lobby of the hotel building without another word in my direction.

* * *

"I'm sorry Mr. Salvatore. But, almost all of our two bedroom rooms are booked for the night. But, we do have a room that would work wonderful for you." The clerk behind the desk informs me as I shake my head, looking back at Lexi who's already on her cell phone, telling a friend of hers that she has no idea how she got stuck in the this little road trip with me of all people. her ex-boyfriend that she swore off years ago.

"Ok. Fine, just book us with whatever you've got." I tell him, slipping him my credit card and watching as the older man smiles when he nods and looks past me towards Lexi.

"Is she your wife? She's pretty." He says with a chuckle, watching as I roll my eyes at me and place my hands onto the counter. "Look, I just drove late to get here. We weren't even planning on stopping. But, my friend over there was having a small meltdown. And, no..She isn't my wife. She could have been a long time ago though. But, not anymore."

"Aha. Well, everything went through for you. So, here's the keys. Enjoy your stay Mr. Salvatore." He says, shaking my hand as I smile at him, letting go quickly when I hear Lexi sigh out a breath.

"What? Tired of listening to hearing yourself talk so much?" I tell her in a teasing tone, wincing out in pain as she punches me in the shoulder with all her might and leans towards my ear as she says "Shut up."

"Aha..I see the old feisty Lexi has returned. Nice to see that you haven't gone all soft on me completely." I tell her with a smile, watching as she rolls her eyes and brushes past me down the hallway, stopping in front of the number that we were given. "Look, all I want is to sleep in a large nice bed without hearing you breath next to me and-" Lexi starts to say as she turns towards me, anger on her face as I watch it hit her eyes when she shouts out. "Is this your idea of a sick joke?"

"Ha..What are you talking about?" I ask her, watching her stand in shock near the door to our hotel room, trying my best to not burst into laughter at the site of what's in front of us.

"I thought you said you could afford this place! There's only one bed in this room, Damon. There's only one full sized bed in this fucking room, DAMON!" She screams, shoving me into the room with her as she turns briskly to grab our bags in a hurry before shutting the door behind us.

"He said we would like what he was giving us." I tell her with a wink reiterating everything that clerk had told me early. Watching as Lexi starts to get pissed off at me all over again.

"Oh come on. It's not like we haven't slept together before." I say with a smile, trying to demolish her annoyance at me and she huffs out a breath and glares at me, anger in her eyes when she snarls out. "Your ass is sleeping on the floor!"

* * *

**A/N: Ahh..So, it's reavealed the Lexi and Damon have a history together..hm...should be interesting to see how that all plays out! ;) And what about Stefan and Elena..slowly making things okay between them. But, how will they react when they both go and see their son together? :) **

**_PLEASE _****_feel free to leave me a comment with your thoughts on this chapter, since every comment inspires me to write better! :) _**

**-Until Next Time!-**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hey all! Thanks so much for all of your reviews! Hope you all enjoy CH.16! :) **

**Follow me on Twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen-Loving You Is Endless- **

**Elena's P.O.V. **

"Are you sure that he's going to like me?" He asks, looking around the well manicured lawn, his hands tightly gripping mine. It's been almost three weeks since he's been living with us and for the most part, Stefan and I are on better terms. But, he's been freaking out about meeting Nathan ever since I mentioned it last night. However, here we are, standing in front of Denise and Nick's house, ready to knock on their door as I turn to him, his eyes filled with confliction.

"Stefan, they are all going to love you. Just follow my lead if anything gets a little too uncomfortable. We can just ask for some time to ourselves. It's completely fine. Denise and Nick are great people. You'll see." I reassure him, knocking on the door and pulling him beside me, hearing footsteps run towards the door and then before Stefan can say anything. He are I are met with a pair of dark hazel eyes. His hair is almost like a chestnut color and he's got this huge smile on his face when he see's me.

"Elena, momma Elena's here!" He shouts, taking a step towards me when I bend down to embrace him in a tight hug. I quickly look up at Stefan whose looking down at us, a smile on his face when he places his hands into his pockets and listens to me talk to Nathan.

"Hey, buddy. How have you been?" I ask him, hearing another set of footsteps and a blonde woman appear at the door, leaning against it when she says "He's been waiting all morning for you to show up. He's really excited to see you." Denise states happily, when Nathan nods and releases his grip from me, pausing for a moment to shyly look up at Stefan as I finally push myself up to stand straight up on my feet.

"I got an A on my spelling bee. I wanted to show you it." He says, grinning a smile nearly ear to ear when I pat his head and we both hear Denise laugh.

"Awesome job. Look, Um..I actually wanted to introduce you to someone first, if that's okay with you?" I ask him, watching our son nod his head when he smiles and looks up at Stefan in a curious way, extending out his hand first to Stefan with a beaming expression of joy on his face, his eyes shining just like Stefan's do when he's happy.

"I'm Nathan." He remarks, watching as Stefan holds onto his hand and I step back from the them, giving them both a moment to take each other in. I slide into the house smiling at Denise as she nods, knowing exactly who Stefan is to Nathan. Since, I had called her and told her about it all, explained as much as I thought was appropriate and her and Nick both thought it would be good for Nathan to meet Stefan, his biological dad.

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V.**

We sit on the steps for a while, my son and I. The silence between us isn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. But, it gets broken quickly when he looks up at me with eyes that mirror Elena and my own, when he asks "Why haven't I met you before? Your Elena's friend, right?"

I swallow hard, no one had told me how to answer the question's he might have. But, I think he can tell I'm nervous because when I glance over towards him. I see his little pale skinned hand on my kneecap, exhaling deeply when he adds. "You're the one in the picture with Elena that I have in my room. My mom told me about you. She said that you and Elena are really good friends. She also said that I would like you, a lot." Nathan comments, tilting his head to the side and placing his hand away from my knees, placing them both onto his own instead.

"So, you have a picture of me?" I ask him, watching as he nods and suddenly gets up, extending out his hand when he asks "Yeah. It's in my room, wanna see it?"

I nod, pushing myself up off the steps and turning towards the front door of the house, watching when Nathan pushes it open and I look up to see Elena talking to both Nick and Denise, smiling as she waves and turns towards them again, giving them both a hug before she walks towards Nathan and I.

"Can I see that spelling test you told me about now?" She asks Nathan in a sweet tone, brushing a strand of her long brown hair behind her ears and adjusting her peach colored dress a bit, smiling at us both when Nathan nods and begins to run up the stairs. Elena and I both look up to see him waving us on to follow him as she leans into me and whispers. "You first, dad."

* * *

The room is filled with toys, several bins of them actually. The walls are a light blue color with pictures of Nathan, Denise and Nick all scattered throughout the room. But as I take a step further into his room, I smile to myself when notice three different little frames on the small white desk in his room. I hear as Elena and Nathan talk about his spelling bee, laughing when she says something like "Wow, you're a very smart little guy."

I feel my heart start to race a bit, a small smile creeping onto my lips when I get a better picture of the images and notice that two of them are of me and Elena. One of them is of her and Nathan, at some park that must be near their house.

"Hey, Nathan. Who are all these pictures of?" I ask him suddenly, turning around to see that Elena and him are sitting on his full sized bed covered with characters from the Lion King. Their backs against the wall and Elena's pink colored toe nails are nervously bouncing up and down with her feet as she smiles at Nathan and he looks over at me, hopping off the bed and walking towards the desk with a smile on his face. "These two are of you and my mom Elena..." He starts to say, as I turn back to look over at Elena. She's got this smile on her face, tears glossed over in her eyes that are threatening to spill over when she says "Um, sweetie. I think your mom called us to come down for lunch. Why don't you go wash up and meet us all down stairs?" She asks him, watching as Nathan nods, walking out of the room and leaving Elena and I both alone. The door half way closed to Nathan's room when she gets up off the bed and walks to me, leaning into me. I can feel her bunching the fabric of my plaid shirt against her hands a little when she pulls me towards her, hugging me tightly, exhaling with a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" She asks. Sniffling against my shirt, still holding onto my waistline.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you?" I ask her, kissing the top of her head and letting out a shaky breath, allowing us both to just stand there for a moment, taking in the feeling of being overwhelmed by everything, this house..Nathan..Everything that we've been through since we've been together again in these last few short months.

"Seeing the two of you together outside like that, sitting next to each other. I didn't think it was going to be an issue for me. I thought that I was going to feel like I did when I had seen him again after awhile, after he got a bit older. But, then I saw the two of you together and it made me realize how much I really did take away from you. Stefan, it breaks my heart to know that he's your son and that you'll never hear him call you dad." She says, her voice breaking when she steps back from me, turning around to leave the room. But, I stop her when I gently pull her by the wrist and listen as the breath in her throat catches as she hits my chest, looking up at me in wonder.

"Marry me, Elena. Marry me, so that we can have more kids and we can have what we both always wanted..." I ask her, my voice trailing off when Elena places her hand onto my chest and smiles through the tears starting to fall down her face.

"What have we always wanted?" She asks in a curious tone, inhaling a shaky breath and wiping away the tears when she places her hand onto my cheek and touches my face with her fingertips, gently.

I take her in for a moment, the look in her eyes, the saddened and full of despair look that makes me want to hold her and never let her go, the look on her face makes me want to make it disappear forever and instead make her happy for the rest of our lives, just so that I can always see her smiling face. Elena gasps a bit as I wrap her into my embrace for a while, the two of us just standing in the middle of Nathan's room in silence, taking in each other's feeling of pain that neither of us want to admit. But, we both know it's there, the pain of losing out on being his parents. "Each other, we've always wanted each other and a family." I tell her, feeling as she snuggles her head against my shoulder, holding me just a bit tighter.

"This place, this is Nathan's home. You and I will always be his parents. But, Elena those people downstairs are his parents, his family. I want to have a family of my own, I always have and it's always been with you. I want us to have our own family, together."I comment, feeling her hands making small circles against my back when she speaks up after a few minutes. "What about your heart condition? What about you almost dying on me..Stefan, I couldn't handle that again..I can't watch you die in front of me." She says, a sorrowful tone in her voice when I release her from my arms and take my hands, placing them both onto each side of her cheeks, securing her gaze onto my eyes when I reassure her with the only thing I know might help her reconsider this. Because, even after 7 years of being apart from Elena, she has always been the one that I've wanted and I can't imagine my life without her. Even if she's done a few things that I didn't agree with, I now know that she was just doing what she thought was best for both herself and our son at the time.

"I came to New York to find you. It wasn't just to tell you about me being sick and having you help me heal. I mean, I love the fact that you care for me so deeply and I love that you haven't left my side since I left the hospital, 3 weeks ago. But, Elena..You need someone to take care of you, you need someone to come home to that will be there and that'll love you every second of every day no matter what the day brings. And, I'm that guy. I've loved you ever since I met you in college and that's never changed. You've gotten me through this whole ordeal. Yeah, it hasn't been easy and we've both had to deal with things. But, we've seen each other at our worst and our best. So, it's the only thing that makes sense." I cheerfully tell her with a beaming smile, taking her hands into my own and glancing up to see Elena open her mouth to speak. But, nothing comes out.

"So, what do you say? Let's get married." I ask her again, feeling her hands tighten their hold against mine and she leans into me, capturing her lips against my own. She leaves a sweet kiss upon my lips, one that makes my heart feel like it skips a beat and in the moment, I just want her to say it, the one word that I know part of her is scared to even say again.

"I..um...Yes. Ha, I'm saying yes again for the second time. Because, I love you and I want to be your wife. But, this time..Stefan, don't you dare go and get yourself arrested and leave me pregnant." She says in a joking manner. Hearing as I laugh and smile at her, grabbing a hold of her again and holding her in my arms tightly, kissing the top of her hair. "I won't, I promise. Now, how about we go downstairs and spend some time with our son and his parents." I ask her, watching as she nods and we slowly make our way out of Nathan's room, walking down the stairs with smiles on our faces that neither of us can seem to get rid of.

* * *

**Damon's P.O.V. **

"How did you sleep last night?" I ask her with a wink, watching as Lexi rolls her eyes, picking at the wrapper of her water bottle.

"Yeah, it was fine. Damon..." Lexi begins to say, the tone in her once happy voice changing to being more serious in an instant as we make our way into downtown Chicago, close to where Klaus's company is at.

"I know that this whole thing was my idea, the whole plan of going after Mason and Klaus and helping Stefan get a better reputation in general, because just like everyone else, I know that your brother is innocent. Everyone knows he served his time. But, they still look at him brother like he's a criminal and it isn't fair. Although, this wasn't really just about helping out Stefan..." Her voice trails off when she puts the pieces of ripped up paper into the cup holder between us and looks over at me again, a glossed over look in her eyes.

"Okay..So, if this wasn't about Stefan. Then, why have you have I been on this little road trip for the last few days?" I ask her, watching when she nervously places a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ears and laughs a little.

"It's not obvious? Why I wanted you to come with me?" She asks, a smile fading from her face when she looks out the window at the building that we're parked in front of.

"Well, I thought it was just to hang out with me and hear you talk about how much I screwed you over with sleeping with another woman. I know, Lexi. I screwed up and I'm sorry." I tell her, glancing over to see her nod, rolling down her window to let the slight breeze in.

Lexi stays quiet for a while, staring out the window as I continue to talk when she suddenly slaps my hand, causing me to instantly stop myself from adding more. "Look!" She shouts, nudging my shoulder when I look up and see him. Klaus is leaning against one of the brick walls to the building outside, smoking a cigarette when I mutter out his name, just enough to see Lexi open the passenger side door, her foot already touching the ground.

"What are you doing?" I ask her, trying to pull her back inside with me as she turns towards me and hisses out. "Klaus is right in front of our faces and I'm going to go get some answers!" I gaze over to see Lexi pull down her shirt a little, exposing a bit of her cleavage and ruffling up her blonde hair when she adds. "Nothing like a little blonde distraction to make him start talking. Now, watch me do what I do best, flirt to get what I want."

* * *

**A/N: Ahh..So, I know it may seem like a little too soon since Stefan and Elena were kind of rokcy terms in the last chapter. But, I kind of thought to speed up the stoy a bit that that him asking her to marry him (Again) was a cute idea. :) Also, what about Damon and Lexi? And them finally coming face to face with Klaus..Anyone curious as to where Mason is hiding O.o**

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! **__I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

**_Don't forget to add this story to your favorites/follows if you like it!_**

**_-Until Next Time!-_**


	18. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey all. I'll be bringing this story to a close in the next few chapters..Not sure how many more updates I will be writing for it. But, I'm guessing maybe like 4-5. :) Anyways, hope you all enjoy CH.17! **

_**PLEASE don't forget to Read & Review! **__I really do love reading feedback and comments from all of you. So, feel free to leave a review!_

**Follow me on twitter for updates or if you want to chat about the show or my stories at:Be_Passionate24**

* * *

**Loving You Is Endless-Chapter Seventeen- **

**Elena's P.O.V. **

I hear myself begging for them to not bring any of his past up, for them to not say anything about Stefan that would ruin who he could be in our son's eyes. But, it all stops when I feel Denise bend over, placing her hand onto mine with a sweet smile as she says "How about you and I go for a little walk?"

A walk? She must want to ask me about Stefan, about what really happened and why I haven't mentioned him to them up until a few months ago, telling them that yes, Nathan does have a father and he would like to meet him one day. Which at the time, I didn't really know if Stefan did or not. But, I figured that at least having it out in the open would allow us to figure things out once we got to that point.

He watches me get up, a smile on his face that seems to fade a little when Nathan sits on Nick's lap and wraps his arms around him, looking back at Stefan in wonder.

"Will you all excuse us? Elena and I are going to go for a little walk around the garden." Denise says, getting up and turning away from the guys as I follow behind her, nodding quickly at Stefan.

* * *

"So, what's it like for you to have him back in your life? Must be hard." She says, pushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her ears and then staring back at me as I shrug my shoulders. I haven't really thought about the question, haven't really had time to think about anything at all except for getting Stefan better and having him finally meet our son.

It takes a while to answer, to reply to her as I look down at my feet, shuffling them back a little and then exhaling deeply before I say. "Yeah, it has been hard for us. But, we're making things work. Stefan and I have always had a complicated relationship and with everything that has gone on between us..I'm surprised that I even said yes." I tell her, the revelation of him asking me to marry him again swirling in my head and causing me to become a little dizzy. But as I think about it more, I couldn't be happier to finally have what I both know we've wanted since he found me months ago...a life together.

Denise quickly catches on to my words, glancing up at me with a huge smile on her face and before I can even say anything more. She hugs me, tightly and whispers against my ear. "It's because even throughout everything you two have been through. One thing remains, the love you have for one another. He loves you, Elena. But, what have you agreed too?"

I nod at her as she asks me what I mean when I release my grasp from around her shoulders and take a step back, smiling at her. I don't realize that I'm even crying when I look up at her. But, I can feel the moisture of my tears falling onto my cheeks and I feel completely childish.

"I know he does. I love him, too. I've agreed to marry him, Denise. You know, when he had his heart attack. I thought I was going to lose him and I was scared to death of that. But, now...I don't fear anything anymore. Because, I know that life won't be really easy all the time. However, when I'm with Stefan, it won't matter because we'll be together. We will finally be a family and with you guys raising Nathan..I still want him to have a brother or sister." I tell her, feeling her extend out her hand towards my arm, stroking my skin softly as she nods.

"I'm glad you two have each other and that things are working out so well for you. I'm sure Nathan would also love that too. To have more siblings." She tells me, pausing for a little moment before she goes on to add. "I can see it. How much you both care for one another, how much you care for your son. Elena, I may be his adoptive mother. But, you and Stefan will always be his parents and nothing will ever change that. I know that it was hard giving him up. But, I really hope that you and Stefan can have more children and will want to stay in Nathan's life. Plus, I was thrilled when you called me to tell me that you wanted Nathan to meet his dad. Stefan, seems like a very good man and very loving." She tells me.

I sniffle back my tears, looking over at the three of them. Nathan sitting on Nick's lap, Stefan sitting across from them with a water bottle in his hands, all of his undivided attention drawn towards his son as he tells him all the things he likes to do with Nick.

"We play a lot of basketball." I hear Nathan explain, grinning up at Nick as he smiles and nods, watching Stefan lean back and laugh a little.

"You know, I'm really good at basketball too. My brother and I used to play a lot of sports when we were kids..." His voice trails off, stopping for a moment to wave over at me and then he goes back to explaining.

"Maybe you can play with us!" Nathan shrieks, getting off Nick's lap and turning around back to go inside of the house as he says over his shoulder. "Can we play now? Please, daddy!"

Nick lets out a laugh, glancing up at Stefan as he points to me and I watch Stefan shake his head. "No, it's fine. I think Elena and I can stay a bit longer just for at least one game."

Denise grabs a hold of my arm gently, pulling me out of my focus on Nick and the rest of them as we start to make our way back towards the tables. "Do you mind if they at least play one round of basketball. It's Nathan's favorite game." She remarks, as we both take a step up the stairs that leads to their patio and I lean down, wrapping my arms around Stefan's neck, kissing his cheek before I walk around him and end up in his lap.

"So you want to stay a little longer?" I ask him, feeling his arms wrap around me, his face nuzzled against my neck when he agrees as he adds. "Yeah, let's stay as long as we can. It's not like it's every day we get to hang out with our son."

* * *

**Lexi's P.O.V. **

"Hi." I nearly shout out of my lungs, watching him jump back a bit. The cigarette in his hands falls to the ground when he mumbles something under his breath and locks his gaze upon me.

"Hm. Don't think I didn't see you with that dark haired guy in the car, blonde. I don't have time for questions or to provide any answers that you may want." Klaus tells me, an annoyed expression on his face, this look of almost anger when he turns to go back into the building and a voice from behind me, stops him in his tracks.

"You may not have time to answer anything she has to ask you. But, I sure as hell hope you have time for me!" Damon snarls, taking a step in front of me and pushing Klaus against the brick wall of the building, looking around to see that no one's there as he places his arm against his windpipe, watching Klaus try to fight him off. But, it's useless because the hold that Damon has against his neck is making him look like he's about to pass out.

"Damon...What in the hell are you doing here, I didn't realize it was you!" Klaus chokes out, his hands once more trying to pull Damon off of him as I step back and watch them, confusion on my face when they both look over at me when I speak.

"How do two know each other? I thought he only knew, Stefan!" I ask them, watching Damon shove Klaus against the wall, harder this time as he kneels down on to the ground, a scared look on his face when Damon raises up his fists, retracting it back just enough to punch him as he adds. "Of course we do, this is the son of bitch who ruined our lives! Now, Klaus..Tell me, one word answer. Did you frame my little brother and have him take the fall for Mason Lockwood?" Damon shouts at him, looking down at Klaus as he smirks up at him, this proud smile of achievement spreading across his lips when he says with a firm tone. "I don't know what you're even talking about...Your little brother? Stefan? Ha."

I look away when I hear it, the sound of Klaus's facial bone crunching against his fists. I'm pretty sure that Damon's probably in agony as he screams. "I said one word answers. That was more than one word and a completely wrong answer! Try again, Klaus. Why did you frame Stefan!" He yells, watching Klaus try to get to his feet, spitting out blood from his mouth when he grins at us, like he's enjoying remembering the time that he went to see Stefan in jail when he says "Because, Stefan Salvatore had it coming. He did it all to himself. However, if you want me to feel any sympathy towards him and the jail sentence he got. I don't. I personally think that he deserved it. Now, get the hell away from me and this establishment before I call the police and have you both arrested for harassment, maybe you both can get 7 years in prison too. Remember, Damon. I'm very good at making people believe whatever I say!"

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**A/N: Thanks so much for reading & Until next time!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Loving You Is Endless- Chapter Eighteen**

**Damon's P.O.V. **

"What is this idiot even talking about?" I ask Lexi, hearing as she lets out a laugh and looks back down at Klaus, her high heel looking like it's about to pierce its way into his thigh if he doesn't start talking soon.

"Tell us, Klaus or you won't be losing your family jewels..Tell us what you mean by Stefan did this all to himself? He was set up by you! As far as I know, him being thrown into prison was all your doing." Lexi snarls at him, digging her sharp heel into his leg a bit more as he yelps and tries to get up again.

"He...Stefan..He always told me that he knew that something was messed up in my company, he was suspicious about it all and yet, he stayed. He stayed until I found out that someone was stealing money from me. All signs pointed to Stefan because he was always asking me a lot of questions about if I knew something was wrong with my accounts and the company, if I was losing any money. So, I suspected him...I never once thought it was someone else but Stefan. Look, he did this to himself because of whole time that your brother worked for me, he had a target on his back with all of his curiosity."

I scoff at him, rolling my eyes when I lean down to lock them on to Klaus's as I say. "My brother was a target because he was starting to make something of himself and within a few years time...Who knows. Maybe he would have taken over your company or built his own. He was an intern and employee that was eventually going to be someone and you hated it. You hated that everyone seemed to actually like his ideas, the things he'd bring up in meetings, ideas that he proposed while he met with you would go unnoticed at times. So, you found Mason Lockwood, you hired him and you and Mason created this delusional plot against my brother. Framing him for a crime that he was completely innocent of. However, you both made it look like that Stefan was the criminal because of his past. Now, I know that we may never get the truth coming from your mouth. However, I know my brother and he's an innocent man. He never stole from you Klaus. Mason did and once you found out about it, you pinned it all on Stefan. Therefore, taking away 7 years of his life, away from him being a fiancé, eventually a husband and a dad to kid that he didn't even know existed until just recently." I tell him, watching Klaus open his mouth to speak. But, I cut him off, taking a step back away from him and watching him slowly get up from the ground, getting to his feet.

"We're done here. We won't ever clear my brother's name. But, at least he can live with the guilt of what he's done to this family." I tell her as I see Lexi give me a confused look, at the exact moment when I said that it's time to go.

"We can't just leave, Damon. We need to-" Lexi starts to say as I step closer to her, extending out my hand as she looks down at it and shrugs her shoulders back.

"He's never going to tell us the truth and if we went after Mason. It'd be a wild goose chase. So, let's go home and move on." I tell her, watching her look up at Klaus for a moment, shoving him back against the wall as she angrily says "I hope that you pay for what you did and even if you never do. I really hope that you're haunted by what you did to Stefan. You ruined his life and because of you, he lost so much time with the ones he loves. So, good luck living with a guilty conscious for the rest of your life, Klaus. I'm sure that it'll follow you around for the rest of your pathetic existence." Lexi tells him, pivoting on her heels and flipping her hair back as she grabs a hold of my hand and softly says. "We can go now. Maybe you and I can...fix things too." She says with a smile, intertwining our fingers together and walking with me back towards the car as I look back, seeing Klaus run his hands through his hair, the guilt of what he did to all of us, probably just now setting in when he watches us walk away.

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V. **

"So, today was fun." I tell him, seeing Stefan sit in the driver's seat of our car, his smile never leaving his face as he says. "Do you want to invite them to the wedding? I mean, I guess we wanted something small and intimate. You know, maybe just a few close friends, the courthouse and then a small little party at a nice little park or something. I know it's probably not what you wanted all those years ago when I first asked you to marry me. But, what do you think...just a few close friends, our son, his adoptive parents..you and me, of course." He says in a rambling tone, watching me look out the window seeing the door to Denise and Nick's house close as I turn back towards Stefan, nodding.

"Well, seven years ago. I never thought that I would have had to wait this long to be with you. But, yeah...I'd like that. I mean, you've already been through the whole 'until death do us part thing.' So, Mr. Salvatore, when are we getting married?" I ask him with a small laugh, feeling Stefan's hand rest on top of mine as he exhales, grinning after he clears his throat to speak.

"Well, I still need to get you a ring and we still need to plan a few things. So, how about five months from now or is that too soon?" He asks with smile, hearing me breathe out a long drawn out breath as I lock my eyes on him.

"Ha, five months to plan a wedding..People usually are engaged for a long time before they even get married. But, since you I were engaged before everything happened to us and we kind of..well, took a detour in our relationship. Five months from now, four months is a little too soon. However, I've waited seven years for you. So, we might be able to make it work." I reassure him, hearing as Stefan laughs, still holding on to my hand.

"If you want, you know if five months from now is a short notice. We can wait another seven years to get married..I mean, we can be engaged for another seven if you want. Maybe, I can even get incarcerated again..Or have another heart attack." He says jokingly, causing me to glare at him, leaning forward and slapping his chest.

"Don't you are do that. Nothing can ruin us getting married or being engaged this time around and from what Elijah said at your last check up for your heart. You seem to be doing just fine now." I tell him, watching this glistening in his eyes as he shrugs his shoulders back , leaning forward when he lets go of my hand and starts the car with a smile on his face.

"He said that I can get back to my normal activities." Stefan says with a wink, staring at me as I shake my head at him.

"You think you're so cute. Don't you? Normal activates, great..maybe you can help me move in stuff into my new apartment then, once I find one that is." Stefan blinks a few times, his smile fading when he starts to open his mouth to speak. But, I lean into him and kiss his lips softly, backing away when I add. "I know what you meant and I was thinking that once you and I are moved into our own place and not living with Caroline anymore then maybe I can help you get back to your..." My voice trails off, pausing just for a moment when I lean into his ear and whisper. "Normal activities."

I swear I can hear his breathing stop, his heart pounding inside of his chest as he tries to speak. But, let out a small laugh when he stammers out. "Are you trying to kill me all over again?" He asks with a small laugh, watching my finger trace against the outline of his jaw as I lean back into him again, whispering once more into his ear in a seductive tone. "You'll have to wait and see. I just hope that your heart can keep up."

* * *

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

"How did it go?" Caroline asks, coming out of the kitchen with a water bottle and a bowl of grapes in her hands, this mesmerized look on her face when Elena and I make it back to her apartment.

"It went good. Caroline, we have something to tell you." Elena says, closing the door behind her and watching Caroline sit down on the couch, the look she had earlier instantly becoming full of worry as she says "Oh my god, Nathan didn't like you? Oh, Stefan..."

"Ha, nope that's not it. He loved us, actually. Caroline, Elena wants to move out." I tell her bluntly, feeling Elena pinch my arm as she steps in front of me and exhales.

"I wanted to tell her!" She scolds, a frown on her face as I smile and shrug my shoulders back.

"Someone had to tell her and well, it looks like she's taking the news pretty well." I comment, pointing to Caroline and watching from the corner of my eye when Elena rolls her eyes and watches her best friend do what looks like a victory dance in their living room.

"Oh, thank god! I mean, don't get me wrong. I love you both for staying here and it's been great coming home from a long day of looking for new modeling gigs. But, I asked Matt to move in with me and he said yes. He kind of loves this apartment and we were going to ask if you two wanted to move out, so that he and I can live together." Caroline informs us, walking slowly over to the both of us as she hugs Elena tightly, pushing away from her and narrowing her eyes on me when she adds. "She pregnant already?"

"What? No!" Elena shrieks, shaking her head when she turns towards me and gives me a weak smile.

"She isn't yet. But, you'll be the first one to know when it happens. Actually...I asked Elena to marry me, again." I confess, smiling when Caroline gasps and nearly shoves her best friend out of the way and to the side of me, hugging me tightly when she whispers against my ear. "Don't screw it up this time, Stefan Salvatore! I guess you knew you loved her 7 years ago and well, I guess over the last few months and your near death experience has made you realize something..Or was it meeting your son?" She asks, tilting her head to the side and placing her hands onto my shoulders, smiling up at me.

"Don't worry, Caroline. Elena can't get rid of me that easily anymore. You know, I guess it is..Seeing Nathan with his adoptive family made me realize that life's too short to wait for the things you're sure about. I love Elena and I've always been sure of it. So, Marrying her and having her finally be my wife, getting a second chance with her. It just makes sense." I say, feeling Elena's arm wrap around my waistline, pulling me towards her as I watch her rest her head on to my chest and she steps in front of Caroline with a smile on her face.

"Well, aren't you two just too cute for words. I get it. You love her and you both were engaged before you were sent to prison. I really get it. But, please..Whatever you do. Keep each other happy and cherish the fact that you both get a second chance. Now, what are we going to do about the apartment?" Caroline asks, pivoting on her heels, a lingering smile on her face when she shrugs her shoulders back and I watch Elena throw her an extra pair of keys from her pocket.

"You can keep it, Caroline. Stefan and I are planning on looking at new places tomorrow and so, we'll hopefully just be here for a few more weeks and then, it's all yours." Elena tells her. The excitement in Caroline's voice is so evident that when she screams and starts jumping up and down like a little kid in a candy store. Elena and I just laugh at her.

"Wow, if I would have known that she would have wanted the apartment sooner and it would make her this happy..I would have given it to her way earlier." Elena says, turning to face the door as she looks over at me and grins. "You want to get out of here?"

I nod at her, taking her hand in mine as we slip out of the apartment, leaving Caroline in the living room, continuing the small victory dance she's started just a few minutes earlier.

"So, where are we going?" I ask her, looking down at her as she locks her eyes on me and clears her throat, a smiling once again forming on to her lips when she replies with a soft laugh. "I was hoping that we could get some alone time together and I know just the place. It's a surprise, so you're going to need to wear this." She tells me, pulling out a red scarf from her purse.

"Are you going to kidnap me and hold me hostage?" I ask her with laugh, hearing Elena exhale deeply when she leans towards me, placing the red fabric against my eyes, leaning into my ear as she whispers. " Well, you'll be my willing victim. So, yes. I'm kidnapping you and you're all mine for tonight. Hopefully you won't mind."

I hear my breathing pick up as she kisses my check, grabbing a hold of my hand and squeezing it tightly. "You can relax and take your mind of out the gutter, Stefan. It's not exactly what you think. Although, you do need to learn to live a little again, Stefan."

"By any chance does this surprise involve you and maybe a removal of clothing or..." My voice trails off when Elena laughs again, leading me down the hallway when she says. "It's a surprise. So, a little bit of everything. Now, keep your eyes closed and trust me on this one. You'll love it." Elena says, exhaling deeply when she tightens her grip on my hand and all I can think about is her words _"Come on, live a little.."_

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your awesome reviews! Please let me know what you thought about this update. Since, it really does motivate me to write better. So, suggestions and things you all might want to see more of are always welcome! :) **

**The next update will have a cute SE flashback and a lot of cute SE current moments in it. :) Anyone curious as to where Elena's taking Stefan to? **

**Follow me on twitter for updates at: Be_Passionate24 **

**Thanks so much for reading & until next time! **


	20. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey all. Just a little reminder. This story will be wrapping up soon. :') I just wanted to say thank you all for the reviews. They really mean a lot to me. Anyways, enjoy and thanks so much for reading! **

* * *

**Loving You Is Endless- Chapter Nineteen **

**Stefan's P.O.V. **

I can feel my palms sweating when Elena lets go of my hand. A cold airy breeze is blowing throughout the jacket that I'm wearing and I can tell that we're somewhere bright and kind of loud.

"You can take the scarf off now." She tells me with a smile, laughing a little as my hands fumble with the fabric and I look up, my eyes become misty eyed.

"We're on a rooftop, in the heart of New York." I comment, watching Elena nod, taking a few more steps towards me as her smile grows wider.

"Yeah. I 'd come here to think..some days, I'd think about you. About the life we could have had together and the kids we could have had. I missed you a lot, you know while you were gone." She states, clearing her throat a little as she takes a hold of my hand and pulls me towards the ledge of the building we're on.

"You see all those people down there. Some nights I'd come up here and imagine that one of them, in that huge crowd was you...Stefan-." She starts to say, her voice breaking as her teary brown eyes lock on to my intense gaze and I lift my hand up, my thumbs wiping away her tears.

"I'm here now, Elena. You don't need to pretend anymore. See, I'm here." I tell her, taking her cold hand into mine and placing it against my chest, right above my heart so that she can feel the rhythmic thumping of it against her palm. I watch as Elena's eyes tear up, smiling through them as she pulls me closer and embraces me tightly. "I know." She whispers. "I know you are and I've waited for this moment for so long."

* * *

**Caroline's P.O.V. **

"So, you really want to move in together?" I ask him, watching Matt let out a loud laugh, nodding his head.

"Of course I do. Caroline, we're amazing together and I want this to work. So, what better way of testing it out than by moving in with each other." He states, smiling at me as I look around the room, filled with most of Elena's things.

"I just don't want us to kill each other." I tell him flatly, getting a loud booming laugh out of Matt again, as he rolls his eyes at me.

"It won't happen, Caroline. I love you too much." He says, grabbing for me, pulling me closer towards him so that I can rest my head on his shoulder. His grip tightens as I relax against him. My boyfriend- at least for now...Since I'm deathly afraid of something going wrong between us. My boyfriend- that loves me too much!

"See, that's the first sign of it, Matt. You tell me you love me so much and then days later. We'll be at each other's throats!" I exclaim, feeling Matt turn me around to face him. His blue eyes narrowing on my face. "Stop being so overdramatic. I love you, Caroline and us moving in together is the first step of becoming even more serious." He states. I watch as he takes my hand into his own and brings it to his lips, kissing my soft skin.

"What's the second?" I ask him, tilting my head to the side in curiosity. Suddenly, my heart stops. My words get stuck inside of my throat as I watch him in the middle of "our" living room. Bending down on one knee and for a moment, I think maybe he dropped something on the floor.

Until he smiles at me, pulling out a black box from his jeans pocket when he asks in an excited tone. "Marry me, Caroline Forbes?"

I can feel the blood rush to my face, my whole body feels tingling. Like, I'm going to faint or die right in front of him. Matt waits patiently, still smiling. Shifting his stance a bit.

"Um..Matt..." I start to say as he laughs.

"I know that it's unexpected and completely random. But, I've been with you for a long time now and I can't picture being with anyone else. So, what do you say?"

He looks so happy. So damn happy and here I am-looking like I'm going to vomit and then with just a few words..I ruin his happiness high.

"I...I don't know." I blurt out, watching him furrow his brows at me, he gets up quickly- embarrassed.

"You don't know?" He says, trying to reach for me. But, I instead take a step back.

"Look, I love you. I really love you and I love being with you. But, I just lost my job. And, my best friend is moving out...It's just-" I open my mouth to speak. But, Matt quickly finishes my sentence for me.

"It's bad timing. Isn't it?" He asks, tilting his head to the side as I nod, a small relieved smile on my face that he isn't pissed off about me declining his marriage proposal that he just sprung up on me like that!

"Yeah. It's horrible timing." I say with a laugh, feeling his hand slide down my arm as he nods, an understanding in his blue eyes when he exhales and shrugs his shoulders. "Well, I'll just keep the ring until you're ready, Caroline. I guess we need to take this all one step at a time." He says with a nervous laugh, his smile diminishing when I lift my hands to his face, a sweet and saddened look in my eyes.

I feel bad, horrible actually. But, if it wasn't for the timing. I would have said yes, gladly. Because, I want to be his wife one day..And, I really want him to be my husband. He's right- we're perfect together!

"Rain check on the proposal?" I ask with laugh, hearing Matt exhale again as he closes his eyes to my touch and softly replies. "Sure. But, when I ask you again, I won't no for an answer."

* * *

**Lexi's P.O.V. **

"What are we going to do about us?" I ask him, tapping my foot against the floorboards of the car. Damon's got this intense look on his face, his shoulders tensed back as he drives. Not even looking over at me as I talk.

"Us?" He asks like he's never thought about it before.

I hate how he's trying to avoid the topic hastily.

"Pull over, Damon." I tell him, my voice is harsh and low as he looks at me, instantly responding to my words as he pulls the car over onto the long stretched gravely dirt road we're on.

"I want to know that you and I are either something or we're not anything before we get back home. So, tell me right this instant so that I can experience the heartbreak, now." I tell him honestly. Damon shuts the car off. His eyes are glazed over with something that I can really place. And, I feel stupid for bringing this up again. But, I feel like I need to clear the air. I need to know where he and I stand, because I can't take anymore heartache from Damon Salvatore!

He shifts in his seat nervously. "You've always known how to push my buttons. Lexi...There's this girl that drives me absolutely insane..." His voice trails off, taking his hands off the steering wheel. His blue eyes are locked on my face, like he's gauging my emotions.

I'm an idiot. Another girl? Of course there is...It's all because he's- Damon Salvatore- the fucking saint to all women -and I'm just...an idiot. A VERY big idiot for thinking we could have something between us again.

"This was such a stupid idea. Ha, just when I thought you'd be serious for once and tell me that you actually gave a damn about-" I'm rambling, as he inches closer. Damon's got his signature smirk on his face- his blue eyes are killing me and all I want to do is...Wait, what was it that I wanted to do again? Oh, yeah..Tell him that it's clear to me that doesn't really give a damn about me and that he'd use me again, just like he once did.

It's automatic. This thing he does to me. The way he silences my own thoughts just by one look. "Stop talking." He says, it comes out more like a command than it does anything else and I pull back from him for a moment, snorting out a laugh. Did he just tell me to shut up?

"No! I'm not going to. Ugh, I wish I wasn't such a fool to...to..." I'm stammering again. I hate being so tongue tied around him. Another thing he does to me.

"You're not a fool, Lexi." He says with a grin, leaning towards me again as I feel my back push against the door and my eyes narrow down at his shirt. Why am I looking at his perfectly sculpted chest? I hate myself for the way I act around him..It's been years since I've had these emotions again and it's all because of Damon...He's stirring them inside of me and I hate it..Yet, I love it so much. Because, I love him. Correction.._I loved him. _

"Why not? Here I am thinking that this trip to Chicago could have brought us closer and yet, now you're telling me that you're seeing someone else..Why am I not surprised by that? Which one is it now, Damon? Brunette, perfect teeth, big ass and boobs..enlighten me."

"I'm not seeing anyone. However, I'm interested in someone. But, she's not a brunette. She's blonde, funny, snarky at times and I push her buttons a lot and she hates me sometimes too for it. Although, she's put up with my shit for years and-" He stops, lifting up his hand so that his fingertips graze against my chin, lightly.

I swallow my words as he inches closer to me. I watch Damon lick his lips, his breath hot against my own as he smiles at me and replies in a soft tone. "You. It's you that I want, Lexi Branson." He confesses.

I can feel my pulse racing, my face is beat red from his hands against my cheek and when I try to open my mouth to speak again. Damon places his finger on to my lips with a smirk. "I don't want to talk." He states in a firm tone, watching me give him a confused look.

"Why? Because I sure as hell would love an-." There it is again, he cuts off my thoughts this time. But, not with his words or the way his eyes pierce into me. This time, it's with his lips against mine...He kisses me, twisting his fingers into my hair. I can feel his lips curl into a smile against my own as I deepen the kiss, getting lost in the moment with him. All my walls that I've built around wanting to hate him for what he did to me all those years ago, quickly vanishing with just one kiss from the man that I love.

* * *

**Elena's P.O.V. **

_"I wanted to ask your daughter something." He stated. I can still picture my mother's reaction, the napkin that she placed against her lips to wipe off the remaining sauce from the soup she made falling as she watched Stefan smile at me, grabbing a hold of my hand that had been resting against us on the dinner table. _

_"Um..Stefan...I don't-" I began to say, hearing him let out laugh as he slowly got up and pushed the chair he had been sitting in, away from him. Stefan turned me towards him, this beaming smiling on his face as he bent down on one knee. I could hear my mother gasp, my father staying dead silent. _

_"Elena. I love you. I have loved you since I met you that day on the beach. You make me want to be a better man, a better person and I couldn't ever picture my life without you in it. So, Elena Gilbert. I wanted to ask you something." He said, clearing his throat as I covered my mouth with my hands, gasping when he pulled out the white box from his jacket pocket, revealing a beautiful and shining diamond ring as he opened it in front of me. _

_"Marry me and I promise you that I will give you everything you ever wanted. I'll take care of you, Elena. I want to take care of you, I want to love you and I want to wake up to you every morning- seeing your smiling face staring back at me. Marry me and give me the one thing I've always dreamed of..You..." His voice cracked, tears in them as he took my hand into his, stroking the top of my hand as he gazed into my eyes. I could stare into his green glance forever, watching everything fall around us. It wouldn't matter- just as long as it was the two of us and just as long as he kept looking at me as he did then...with just love. Admiration and desire in his leaf green eyes. _

_It didn't take me a long time to reply, to cause our 'family dinner' to come to a complete halt as I replied in an excited tone "Yes!" Leaving my parents stunned, my father looking as if he wanted to kick us both out and my mother looking at me if she'd just lost her own daughter...To a man that she would always think wasn't good enough for her little girl. _

"I wonder what my parents would think about us getting married and engaged again?" I ask him with a laugh. Stefan pulls me against him, kissing the top of my head as I wrap us in the red blanket that's enveloping us both. We're laying on the roof top's concrete floor. Just the two of us in the middle of the city, in the night like nothing and no one else matters and I don't want it any other way. I just want to stay in this moment with him forever.

"They'd say the same thing they said that night..." His voice trails off, a hint of pain in it as he remembers my mother's harsh words to me. _He could you accept his marriage proposal! He can't give you the life you want. It's all a lie..He's a criminal and he's just using you for his own gain. He probably stole that damn ring on your finger! _

"Stefan..." I say his name in a soft tone, my head resting against his arm as he plays with my hair, running his fingers through it, looking up at the darkened night sky as we watch our breathes create a foggy looking mist.

"It wouldn't matter. Because, I'd still pick you. If I was given a choice to choose you and another guy. I'd still pick you over and over again. It didn't matter then what they thought and it doesn't matter now. I stopped talking to them because they were so against us being together and I'm okay with that." I tell him in a sincere tone, he laughs. This deep belly shaking chuckle as he glances over at me, his other hand is resting to his side when I watch him bring it over so that he can caress my face.

"You're just saying that..."He says, teasingly.

"No, I'm not. If I had to pick between you and...Tyler. Let's just say hypothetically. I'd pick you." I tell him truthfully, feeling Stefan's arm pull me closer towards him as he lets out another laugh. his smiling face warming my heart.

"Ha, God I would hope so. Tyler sucked." He says, looking down at me as I wiggle my body so that my arm rests against his chest, my palm laying flatly against it. My fingertips softly tapping against his shirt.

"He did. I agree. Listen, Stefan-" I start to say, feeling his movement cease when he pulls his arm out from underneath me, resting it under his own head instead. We stay silent for a while, both of us just staring up at the sky, the silence between us is like a blanket, silencing our minds for a brief second too.

"I meant what I said to you when I first asked you to marry me all those years ago in front of your parents. I love you, Elena and...I want to make you happy. I'd do anything to make you happy. To show you that I'm not what your parents think I am. What everyone thinks I am. I just wish that we'd-" He begins to say as I roll against him more, pulling one of his arms over me and the blanket, my other hand running through his hair, a small smile tugging across my lips as he closes his eyes to my touch.

"It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks about you. Because, I've always known the truth. You're innocent. You're loving, caring and nothing anyone says can change my mind. Because, it's already made up. I love you, Stefan Salvatore and I can't wait to be your wife." I tell him in soft tone, my hand turning his face towards me as I lean into him and capture his lips against my own. I hear Stefan let out a loud groan as he pulls me against his body. I don't know how we got like this- But, I'm enjoying it. My legs are straddling his torso when he places his hands onto my hips and gives me a lopsided smile.

"What?" I ask him, bending down, my lips just about to go in another tantalizing kiss.

"You are going to kill me quicker than my heart's going to give out if you keep doing that." He states with a grin, watching my cold hands lift up his shirt underneath the red blanket that covers us and he inhales through gritted teeth when I bend down, my lips kissing his abs, lowering myself against him more as he places his hands into my hair again, twisting the long brown strands in between his fingers.

"Ha..Well, I'd be minus a groom on my wedding day..Wouldn't I?" I ask him, with a chuckle, watching Stefan try to lift his body as I lift my head up, giving him a displeased look.

"Ah, Ah, Ah..No. It's worth the risk." I tell him, hearing Stefan inhale through gritted teeth. I can feel his muscles tensing when I graze my teeth against his flesh.

"Are you dying yet?" I ask him with a laugh, working my hands to push his shirt over his pecks, purposefully leaving hot and moist kisses against his chest as I go along, licking and nipping against his skin, my teeth gazing against him more and more when he lets out uneven breathes.

Stefan lets out a forcible laugh, trying to lift up his head up again to get a better picture of how I'm slowly torturing him. "Couldn't this have waited until the honeymoon? I'm still recovering from heart surgery." He chimes in with a worried tone. I smile against his body, lifting his shirt up more until I finally let him pull it over his head. But, when Stefan lifts his body up with me in his lap. He quickly pulls a fast on me.

"Gotcha ya!" He says with a smirk, pining me down on to the blanket with a light thud as I laugh at him, placing my hand against his bare chest. The cold air hitting us both as I shiver underneath him. I knew he's eventually get me under him. But, I was just waiting for how long it would take until he couldn't take me playfully torturing him anymore

"We should probably go." I tell him with a smile, my hand gently stroking the back of his neck, my eyes gleaming in the moonlight above us.

"Oh, come on. I'm just getting started. Besides, it's not like anyone is going to come up here. First off, it's too cold and it's an abandoned building. You sure know how to pick the perfect places to have sex." He says with another chuckle, causing me to widen my eyes at him as I shake my head.

"That totally wasn't my plan and-" I try to argue with him. But, It's too late. Stefan's hands are already making their way underneath my shirt. This victorious grin on his face as he leans down and kisses my neck, licking the soft skin as I close my eyes. It really wasn't my plan...rooftop sex in the cold with my fiancé...This was not my plan!

"Sure, it wasn't. Oh, Stefan..Let me take you up to this rooftop surrounded by the night sky and a few lamps, oh look a warm and red plush blanket we can wrap ourselves up in. Oh and it's a place that reminds me of you." He says in a mocking tone.

I swat at his chest, this embarrassed look on my face that can be seen clearly as he lifts his head up, eyeing me and licking his lips when he says. "I'm joking. Besides, rooftop sex is kind of not us. Now, hot tub sex in a hotel room would be nice and warm. It's too cold to do anything here." He says, laughing and caressing my face.

"I'd never thought that you'd reject any opportunity to take my clothes off. Remember how we used to be?" I comment with a laugh, shaking my head at the thought. Stefan and I used to be all over each other, all the time. That was before the whole mess happened and our once blissful future got ripped out from under us.

"Well, that was then...I mean, unless you.." His voice hitches as he looks down at me and I lift my head up, both of my cold hands gravitating towards his face when I place them against his cheeks and I pull him down against my own body. My mouth is against his ear as I whisper. "Just for tonight, let's be those two people again. Plus, you almost died on me. You owe me. At least, I'll get the chance to kill you all over again, in a completely different way." I tell him with a wink, pulling away from him and giving him a seductive looking grin.

His green eyes are blazing, his mouth opening but no words are coming out as he leans down towards me. I can feel his freezing hands slide under my shirt, softly gliding up and down my chest. His lips are against my neck, working his way up to my ear as he nips at my earlobe and then whispers back. "Well, you're the one who told me to live a little. Besides, death by you will be worth it." He states, pulling me towards him as he captures his lips against mine and I can hear a moan escape his throat, a small smile tugging across my lips when I pull away for a moment. Just what I wanted..Stefan to give in and to be in the moment with him, neither of us giving a damn about anything but one another and the warmth of our hands against each other's bodies.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, those two...Stefan and Elena and rooftop sex in the cold..I really don't think they care. O.o lol**

**Please let me know what you thought about this update. Since, it really does motivate me to write better. So, suggestions and things you all might want to see happen are always welcome! :) **

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**Until next time! **


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